


Hidden Within

by Bella88



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But there are differences, Disclaimer, Drama & Romance, F/M, Lux based story, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Supernatural Elements, not my original story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-05-14 19:24:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 152,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19279585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bella88/pseuds/Bella88
Summary: When Lucy returns to her mother's hometown, she didn't expect to get caught up in the drama involving her mysterious next door neighbors. Despite her instant dislike of the one neighbor, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy can't help but feel drawn to him.Just who are these people anyway?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> This is my first Fairy Tail story and I'm really excited about it. I had the idea for a while and I just want to see how the idea would be taken. Please let me know what you guys think and if you want me to continue with the story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I'm also using the idea of from a book I read. I'll name it after I finish this book so it won't spoil the story for you! The basics are all from that, but later chapters will be different and I'm going to focus a lot more on other characters and obviously change some things too.
> 
> If you have any questions or suggestions don't hesitate to tell me :)
> 
> Also, sorry for the bad summary, I hate doing them.
> 
> Other couples besides Nalu are Gajevy/Gale, Gruvia, Jerza and some extras you'll have to read to see.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I'm also using the idea of from a book I read called, 'Lux: Obsidian'. Give it a read, it's such an amazing book! The majority is from that book, but later chapters will be different and I'm going to focus more on other characters and obviously change some things too. I DO NOT OWN THIS BOOK SERIES, this is fanfiction!

 

* * *

"I guess this is it. The start of my new life, a life I didn't even ask for."

Lucy Heartfilia sighed at the sight of the large amount of still fill boxes that made home on the floor next to her queen-sized bed. The visual was more than a little unnerving. She had spent the last two days and the better part of her morning unpacking the seemingly never-ending piles of belongings she had brought with her.

Yet here she was, still overloaded with luggage and little room to spare. Lucy had no idea how this had happened – having brought so much stuff. When she had been packing her things, she had promised to bring only the necessitates, things she couldn't live without, such as in her clothes, of cause her laptop, school supplies and a couple notebooks. _That_ was it! How was it possible that even after bringing less than half of what she owned, she was now struggling to make space in her new room?

Admittedly, her new room was much small than her old one, probably less than half it's size. It was still frustrating though.

With a defeated sigh, Lucy stomped over to her bed and let herself flop onto the comfy mess of blankets and stray pillows. The pressure instantly left her body at the soft feeling. She was pretty sure that she could even go back to sleep if she tried hard enough. She really should continue unpacking, but her motivation was decreasing every day and there was almost nothing left to work with this morning.

A buzz from her phone on the nightstand had the blonde groaning in self-pity. She knew who was texting her without having to look at the screen. Her father. He had been sending her messages none stop ever since she left. It was yesterday night when she decided to stop answering immediately. Unfortunately, the angry buzzing wasn't helping with her attempt at a relaxing mood. Unwillingly, Lucy rolled over onto her back, her hands reaching up to brush through her sunny mane, only to get caught in the knots.

Lucy frowned and startled to work through the knots to little success. She knew that she should have tied her hair up before going to sleep last night. It always turned into a nightmare when she didn't.

Eventually when the concept of fixing the tangled strands was proving a failure, the blonde girl gave up and instead stretched out over the bed, a tired sigh leaving her lips.

Day three and she was already not in the right frame of mind to continue life. Was that normal?

As if the universe decided that the annoying buzz of her phone wasn't enough for her, a sudden, angry gust of wind sounded outside and Lucy stiffened at the responding creak of the house's walls. It was the stuff of horror movies. Lucy would have taken a moment to appreciate the uncanny nature of it all – the fact that her new house was situated pretty much in the middle of nowhere, close to the woods, just like a true horror setting – if it wasn't for the fact that she hated the genre. At least it was daylight, the past two nights had been a struggle to get through, she had barely gotten any sleep, which was probably why she was struggling to find motivation to do anything today…

Another, loud shudder ran through the house and Lucy clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to block it out. She thought about the day she left, only a couple days ago. About how unwilling she had felt, but kept her smile on for the benefit of her father – not that he would have changed his mind if he knew just how unhappy she was about leaving.

This wasn't the first time she had been here, this house. There was a time when she and her parents had spent many summers over here. Memories of hot, soft sand and the feeling of the cool ocean spray ran though her brain and she had to bite her lip to keep her emotions in check. It had been her late mother's wish to spend so much time here, the place she had grew up in. It was for that reason why Lucy had at a time, loved coming here too, the fact that she got to explore the place her mother once called home. It had been five years since her mother's death and even more since the last time they had last been here. Her father didn't want to travel with his wife being so sick and ignored all her pleas, not that Lucy couldn't understand his choice. Her mother's death had been hard on her, more so on her father and the man had changed. For a long time, Lucy only ever saw him at dinner, sometimes not. He said he was busy with work, that he had to keep up with the companies demands.

Lucy didn't argue, she had been grieving herself at the time and let him go. Maybe their strained relationship now was her own fault because of that. Maybe she should have reached out to him more, they could have healed each other.

Now that she was here again, Lucy found herself stunned by how different everything seemed. There were still some constants, obviously, but it didn't feel as homey as it did before. She defiantly didn't remember the house being so creepy, that was for sure. To be fair, the house was only really scary at night time and was actually very pretty and well kept – all thanks to it's owner. However, if you're a girl with a low tolerance for fear and once you've experienced the terror that is surviving a night in this house, it was a different story.

"Lucy! Come down here please!"

Turning her head towards the door, Lucy gave a replying shout of, "Coming!" and then proceeded to hop off her bed.

A rush of wooziness overtook her senses and the blonde heiress had to steady herself on the nightstand's corner, before leaving her room and walking down the stares. Yip, she _also_ lived upstairs in the overall creepy house – that was right next to the woods, was that great or what? All she needed now was a few creepy paintings and a broken down, picketed fence!

Halfway down the stairs and the smell strong, welcoming smell of eggs and fresh coffee overpowered her nostrils and Lucy practically ran down the rest of the way to the kitchen.

"Hmm, it smells like paradise in here," Lucy hummed, her nose high as she continued to sniff the mouthwatering scent in the room.

"If your paradise consists of scrambled eggs and tofu, then yeah – sure."

Lucy smiled at her new guardian who was still busy with the eggs on the stove. The sun was shining brightly through the closed windows in front of the sink and Lucy took a moment to admire the way it made her favorite aunt's long, light blue hair almost glimmer.

"Morning, Aqua!" Lucy grinned at her aunt and hurried over to take out two plates from the cupboard and place them on the table. There were a lot of negatives about moving here, but one plus was getting to stay with her aunt Aquarius. Well, she says aunt, but they don't have any real relation. She had been her mother's childhood best and was the one that actually owned this house.

"You know I hate that name," the blue-haired beauty scowled down at the eggs, but there was no bite to her words. Lucy now knew better than to get on the women's nerves after getting plenty of scoldings and smacks throughout her previous visits. She liked to think they were passed that stage now, but considering how bad her aunt's temper actually was, she still tried to be on her best behavior. After all, she was living under her roof now.

"Why?" Lucy faked a horrified gasp, when she turned to watch her aunt frown at the cooking eggs. "It's got so much charisma. You know a lot of girls in the city are changing their names to things like that, but here you are, already so lucky."

Aquarius huffed out an amused laugh, before lifting the hot pan off the stove. "If you think your argument involving scatterbrained city girls is going to make me like your bad choice in nicknames, think again," she said, walking over to scrap out a huge portion of eggs onto one plate.

"You love it," Lucy said in a sing-song voice, only to receive a pinch to the cheek by her aunt. "Ow-y!"

Aquarius huffed again at the pout, before placing two slices of bread on the plate. "For that, you can do the dishes. Eat your food before it gets cold."

What did I do..." the blond mumbled sulkily, but did as she was told. Reaching over for the jam, Lucy began to smear it over her toast when she noticed that the other plate was still empty. Looking up, she saw her aunt fiddling inside her handbag. "You're not eating?"

Aqua spared her a glance before strapping the handbag over her shoulder. "No," she sighed. "I have an early shift at the hospital."

"Oh...I thought that today was your day off?" Lucy asked, taking a bite of her jammy toast.

"So did I, but they are short staffed today," Aquarius reached for her phone and put it in her bag, before rolling her eyes and walking into the living room. Lucy laughed in sympathy as she continued to hear the older women rant in the other room. "Apparently nobody ever thought about calling one of the other damn nurses. Or hey, maybe not letting off so many staff members at the _same_ time."

" _Yeah!_ Preach sister, life's tough!"

"You know, I think my bathroom needs a good clean too!" came the mocking tone of Aquarius's voice, but Lucy still pressed her lips together at the hidden warning.

Instead of replying, Lucy returned her attention back to her plate of untouched scrambled eggs and the leftover toast and reached for a fork to take a mouthful of the latter. 'Yum!' Even though they had a private cook back in the city, Lucy still preferred the homey taste of Aqua's food. Luckily, the blue-haired women hadn't minded Lucy's food-lifestyle, something the blond had been nervous about at first. It had been such a long time since she had last seen her mom's best friend that she couldn't remember what she liked to eat. It was a relief when she discovered that, like herself, Aquarius was a vegetarian.

Taking another forkful of eggs into her mouth, Lucy's mind ran back to the very reason why she had moved in with her aunt: Ever since her mother's death, life had grown difficult, something to be expected and when her father got more and more involved with his company, Lucy had started to feel like an invasion of space. Apparently, so did her father. About a week ago, he had called her into his office. At first, Lucy had been nervous because he usually doesn't like to be disturbed. It was then that he told her that the company is going to be expanding – good news, that's what she had thought, but then he said that the reservations were going to take a long time and he would hardly be around to look after her, since he would be traveling a lot – something she didn't understand why he was worried about, because she barely saw him anyway. Her father decided that he didn't want her alone at home without him and preferred it if she were to go somewhere more stable.

And that's how she ended up here. Apparently, Aquarius had even been the one to reach out and over her home. Her father had been planning on sending her off to some boarding school or something, but after a long phone call, he had accepted Aquarius's offer.

It had all happened so fast. Lucy had only known she was moving for three days before she was brought here. She didn't fight against the move, knowing that whatever she had to say would be overturned, but she had been dreading it. All her friends were back in the city, her school, everything.

Swallowing, Lucy laid down her fork absentmindedly and breathed. She Still had a few days before school started and she planned to enjoy the free time as much she could, before becoming the new girl. Who knows? Maybe she might even like it here?

"So, I'm going to go, try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone."

Lucy jumped at the sudden voice, before forcing her eyes to focus in front of her, to see her aunt walking back into the kitchen, her hair now in a well-styled bun. It reminded Lucy of the crappy state her own hair was in.

"Lucy? Did you hear me?" the voice came again and Lucy blinked to find Aquarius staring down at her with a hint of worry.

"Wha, oh – yeah, absolutely," Lucy replied, waving her hand dismissively. "I mean it's me we're talking about."

"That's why I'm worried," the blue-head smiled. Lucy watched as her aunt made to turn, but hesitated, instead only stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"I'm fine, really," the blonde reassured and made a show of biting into her toast, moaning happily at the taste. "I've got food and TV. I'm all sorted."

Still, the owner of the house looked hesitant. "...I know, I just don't like the idea of you here all by yourself."

Lucy didn't care much for the idea either, but there was no point in making her aunt worry. "What's that?" Lucy asked, cupping a hand over her one ear and pretended to listen. "Sounds like the cries of all those suffering patients because they don't have a certain pretty, blue-haired nurse looking after them. Poor things. I think you better get over there."

Lucy couldn't stop the guilty giggle when she saw how her aunt was glaring at her. Too far?

"Brat, clean those dishes," Aquarius order, but allowed the small smile to form on her face, before walking out of the kitchen again. "Oh! And can you head to the grocery store and pick up some more milk and eggs? I ran out thanks to your _special_ breakfast!"

"You eat the same as I do!" Lucy shot back, but the only reply she got was the sound of the front door closing. And just like that, she was alone.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by quickly for Lucy. She finished up her breakfast, gathered up the strength to do the dishes – and even packed them away! Was she a good niece or what?

Now the busty blonde was going through the clothes in her closet to find something to wear for the day. Luckily she had started unpacking her clothes first, so she didn't have to scratch through boxes for an outfit. Eventually she settled on a white-colored top and a denim mini skirt to match. She didn't have to worry about fashion today, it was just a trip to the grocery store.

Fitting into a pair of brown, ankle boots and fixing her hair up into a bun – unfortunately not as neat or as fancy as Aqua's, Lucy was ready to go.

Grabbing her bag, Lucy hurried outside the house, making sure to lock the door before leaving. It didn't matter if she wasn't in the city anymore, the idea of leaving your house unlocked was till taboo and she expected Aquarius wouldn't appreciate it either.

It was only when Lucy made it to her car that she realized that she had no idea where the grocery store even was in the town. To be honest, she wasn't really sure which way the town was either.

She was about to reach into her bag for her phone to call her aunt, when the sight of the only other house besides hers caught her eye.

Much like her current home, the neighbors house was a two-story, old fashioned settlement, but had a different feeling to it. It seemed way more forbidden – if that was even the right word, maybe mysterious, but not in a spooky way. Both the two house were beautiful homes, but Lucy couldn't help but feel that there was something weird about the house.

She hadn't gotten the chance to meet the neighbors, having been so busy with her unpacking duties. She hadn't even seen them or worried about them until now. Now that she thought about it, Aquarius hadn't even mentioned who was living there and Lucy knew that somebody was living there because there was a car parked outside it. When she had first got to her room, Lucy had noticed that her bedroom window stared directly into one of their windows, but theirs had been closed and blinded, so Lucy hadn't thought too much about it.

Now though, she wished she had introduced herself to whoever it was living there two days ago. They must think she's so rude for not even bothering to go over and say hello, being the new girl and all.

She wondered why Aquarius hadn't sad anything. It was possible that she had also forgotten, it had been a busy two days for the both of them.

Without a second thought, Lucy started to walk towards the house, her determination set in stone. Now was as good a time as any for introductions. At the same time she could ask for directions too. A win – win.

Steeping up close to the door, Lucy braced herself with encouraging words before gently knocking on the door.

Nothing.

Frowning, the blond straightened up and knocked again, this time a little harder and stood back waiting.

Nothing.

"Hello?" Lucy called out, stepping up close to knock again.

Nothing.

Was it possible that she had been wrong and nobody was living here? That couldn't be right though, then whose car was standing out there? Unless they were out? They could be at work too, maybe they had a spare car?

With a defeated huff, Lucy moved away from the door and was about to go back to her own car when she heard the sound of door opening behind her. Despite her surprise, Lucy started turning back around and what she saw had her eager smile disappearing and felt her mouth falling open in shock instead.

Leaning against the now open door frame was probably the hottest man she had ever seen in her life – and he was shirtless!

Rock hard abs were what first greeted her view and the startled blonde almost let out an embarrassed "eep!" from the sight. She could already feel the rush of warmth spreading across her cheeks. The man was lean, but sturdy and muscular. His skin was tan, like he bathed in the sun and there was a strange, red tattoo on his shoulder. When she forced her eyes away from the glorious structure, she took in the chiseled features of his face, the strong jawbone and full lips. What really caught her eye though was the shockingly bright colour of the man's hair.

'Pink hair?' Lucy stared in wonder. It was a popular colour in the city, but she had never seen it on a male before. Even so, looking at this guy, Lucy couldn't deny how much the colour suited him.

"What do you want?"

The raspy voice forced Lucy out of her dreamy state and the blonde had to blink a few times to make sense of the situation. Concentrating on the strangers face, Lucy couldn't help but take note of his eyes. They were dark, almost black, but she swore she saw a flicker of...yellow-gold?

"Okay, door's closing if you don't say anything," the now annoyed voice declared and suddenly Lucy's view of the mystery man was being blocked by the closing door. She snapped out of her haze.

Panicking, Lucy quickly reached out and grabbed the door, pulling hard to keep it from shutting closed. The closing did stop, but she wasn't able to pull it open wider. This guy was strong.

"W-wait! I'm sorry, that was really rude. Please, I just need to talk to you."

To her relief, the man took pity on her and gently nudged at the door. Lucy let go of the door and watched almost mesmerized as the man opened the door fully again and went back to lazily leaning against the doorway.

"Heh," the pink-head snickered, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Lucy couldn't help but catch the way the toned muscled flexed at the movement. "So, she does speak? Is she going to tell me what she wants now?"

The question had the blond blushing again and Lucy scrambled to find something to say. Too bad her tongue felt tangled.

"Weh-uh..I-"

"Don't tell me you lost your voice again," the man chuckled and despite the raspy tone, Lucy felt a twitch of annoyance.

Was he making fun of her?

Clearing her throat, Lucy tried to force the bright flush of her cheeks away. "S-sorry um, I didn't mean to disturb you or anything, I was just hoping if-"

"Well you did," the stranger interrupted, his smirk gone from his face and an almost bored expression was now on his face. "I was having a good dream too."

"I'm sorry, but you know that it's almost ten? I didn't think-"

"Look, I don't like making a habit of talking to strangers so if you could get to the point."

Lucy frowned at the rude tone, her anger spiking. "I'm not a stranger, I'm your new neighbor and-"

"I know who you are. What's it got to do with me?" the pink-head yawned out and Lucy's grip on her handbag tightened. If this guy interrupts me _one_ more time.

"Look, I just wanted to say hi and if you could tell me where the closet grocery store is?" the blond managed to grit out. 'Keep it together Lucy, keep it together.'

The stranger seemed to take a moment to size her up, before raising an eyebrow at her and Lucy felt her face inflame for a different reason this time. Just who did this guy think he was?

"You do realize that we only have one stop light around here? Couldn't you find it on your own, kid?"

Lucy almost kicked him, her eyes widening in anger. "Do I look like a child to you!? I'm 17!"

The man shrugged, not even the slightest bit worried about the blond's obvious anger. "Could have fooled me. Ya kinda look like a doll my sister used to have. All big-eyed and blond curls."

Not being able to hold in her annoyance, Lucy let out an agitated sigh and adjusted the strap of her bag. "Okay. I can see that this is a bad time, I'll just call my aunt for directions," she said, already turning to leave.

"Wonderful idea. You should have done that in the first place," the man agreed and Lucy stomped harder to try and control the urge to go back and kick him. It was stupid, but it would at least make her feel better.

"Don't worry I won't be coming back to your door again!" The blond spat, feeling childish for letting a complete stranger get under her skin. This guy was probably one of the best looking guys she's ever met and he was a total asshole. Figures.

"Promise?" she heard him ask and Lucy didn't honor him with a reply, instead walking with exact purpose back to her car, her head held high with dignity. Her old nanny would be proud.

Just before she could open the driver's door though, she heard the man call out to her.

"Hey!"

The better idea would probably be to ignore him, but years of proper manners forced her to at least shoot a glance back at the man, who was now standing outside his house. It wasn't fair how the sunlight seemed to dance over his dark skin, or how bright and fluffy his hair looked right then. Beauty was wasted on some people.

"It's a pretty easy route! Just follow the road up until you reach the first crossroads, then go left! Leads you right into town!"

The blonde blinked at the unexpected instructions and for a while, she only looked at the man, wondering if she should really trust him. Then again, maybe he just wasn't a morning person? He had said that had just woken up, he could just be groggy? She of all people could understand that feeling. Maybe she could give him another chance?

Allowing a small, thankful smile to grace her lips, Lucy waved at the man.

"Thanks for the help. I'm Lucy Heartfilia by the way, nice to meet you!"

To her surprise, her new neighbor looked stunned and confused at her sudden change of attitude towards him, his arms moving to cross over his chest again. She couldn't tell very well from where she was standing, but Lucy thought she saw a strained look on his face. Did she say something wrong?

"Hey, um, you know, if you want to...maybe we can hang out sometime? It would be nice to know someone around here besides my aunt!" Lucy called out, her cheeks flushing at the request. She did mean it. It would be nice to have at least one friend.

Her request seemed to take the man by surprise, but the look was quickly replaced by another smirk.

"Don't think to much into this kitten, we're not about to be best friends or anything! I just don't feel like having the police coming down here when you get yourself lost! Takes away some of my nap time!"

'Okay, never mind. He really _is_ a jerk,' the blonde frowned in irritation and embarrassed, while she glared at the smirking man. How was it possible for one guy to be so infuriat – wait, what? Lucy's mouth dropped open at the realization. Did her neighbor really just call her _Kitten_? It made he blood boil and Lucy bit her tongue to keep herself from yelling out something nasty back at him. Of cause out of all the neighbors in the world, her aunt just had to have the most typical, jerky type. _Ugh._

With an eye roll – which he somehow managed to see and as a result started laughing – Lucy, swung the door open to her car and through the handbag inside, onto the passenger seat, before getting in herself and shutting the door with a bit too much force.

'WHAT. A. JERK!'

Starting the car, Lucy didn't once look back as she took off.

* * *

It wasn't very long until Lucy was parking her car in front of a grocery store. It was extremely easy to find a spot too, there were only about four other cars in the parking area. Lucy knew she could get used to that. Looking towards the store, she read the large, tacky sign: 'Fruit & Veg'. 'Catchy,' Lucy thought, turning the ignition off. At least she knew what she could buy here.

With a deep breath to calm her still fuming body, Lucy opened the door, grabbed her bag and hopped out the car. She felt better once the cool breeze hit her skin, cooling down her anger. She had luckily managed to get some out while driving, although driving at that speed might end up with her getting a pretty heavy speeding ticket. Lucy just hoped that there weren't any traffic cameras around.

True to her neighbors instructions, the way to the town was a short one, even without her angry driving. Maybe ten minutes tops. Having been so anger, Lucy hadn't taken in much of her surroundings, but did manage to see some glimpses of the town, before finding this store.

From what she had seen, it was a huge difference from the city – obviously. If she had to sum it up to one word, it would be 'quaint'. It wasn't bad, just different for the city girl, but if nothing else, Lucy was adaptive. Who knows? Maybe she might even find some adventure here, very unlikely, but a girl could dream.

Once the cool air had fully calmed her nerves, the blond pushed the thought of her rude neighbor out of her mind and decided to go through the rest of the day with an open mind. Stay positive. That's what her mother always used to tell her when she was little and Lucy had tried to stick to that ever since.

Walking into the store, the first thing Lucy took in was the stuffy smell that could only be described as a food market. The store, itself, was quite big and roomy. It looked like any other, small town food store. It wasn't that busy and Lucy could guess that it was because of the time of day. Most people would be working right now, but she did manage to spot a few people around her age.

The school holidays were still on and Lucy felt herself fill with queasy nerves at reminder that she would be entering school as the new girl soon. There was a group of teenagers huddled around the corner. One of them was holding two packets of chips – she didn't know the brand. Lucy guessed that they were deciding on which one to buy. A fleeting thought of going over to introduce herself to them ran though her brain, but she decided against it. She wasn't the shyest person around, she couldn't be when her father owned a large company which required them to attend many parties and important dinners. No, Lucy was fairly good at talking to people, not the best, but she managed. Now, however, the thought of walking up to a whole group of strangers didn't sound like something she wanted to do, maybe if there weren't so many it would be different. Today, she just wanted to relax and possibly go home and reconnect with her comfy bed.

With that last thought, Lucy moved on to fetch a basket. 'Orange colored baskets?' the blonde hummed at the style choice. It wasn't too bad, but kinda an odd choice. Picking one up and shrugging off her handbag to place inside the basket, Lucy then made to head to the first section when her eyes caught something on the store's notice board. Furrowing her eyebrows, Lucy walked over to the large, mostly covered board. The majority of it was covered in advertisements for things like Library notices, sport events and specials, but the one Lucy was focused on had the picture of a girl.

**MISSING**

**Mavis Vermillion**

Lucy's eyes widened at the printed words, her eyes tracing down to look at the girl in the picture. She was pretty, long, golden hair with dowey eyes and a pretty smile. It was normal to hear about missing girls in the city, Lucy had even been subject to a police warning at school, but she didn't expect such a small town to have things like this.

'Poor girl, I wonder what happened to you,' Lucy shivered at the thought, her hand coming up to trace the photo. Whatever is was, she only hoped that the girl didn't suffer.

Retracting her hand, Lucy gave one final look at the poster, before turning to the fruit's section. She remembered seeing a lack of apples in the kitchen this morning.

Within minutes her basket was stuffed with groceries. Lucy was relieved to find that they had everything she needed. She wasn't really in the mood to find another shop...although this might be the only one available.

Struggling to hold the heavy basket of good as she walked towards the freezers, Lucy mentally scolded herself for not taking a trolley. Jogging was great and all when it comes to staying in shape, but it did very little when it came to building arm muscle.

When she was in front of a the milk section, Lucy sighed and set down the basket. "Huh," she breathed in relief as she rolled her tired arm. She seriously had to consider taking up lifting. The blonde then reached out to open the fridge door and took out a bottle of low-fat milk. It wasn't the tastiest thing in the world, but she had a taste for it, even on it's own.

Just after closing the door, Lucy was about to turn away and pick up her basket when someone called out to her.

"Watch out!"

In a startled daze, Lucy instantly moved out of the way of the stumbling girl, narrowly missing her, unfortunately, in the rush, Lucy's hold on the milk loosened and the bottle of milk dropped to the floor and opened, spilling the white, watery contents near her feet.

"Great," Lucy sighed out in misery, before bending down to pick up the bottle, only to be beat by the other girl's hand.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," the girl apologized, quickly screwing the cap back on the top.

Lucy took the time to take get a good look at the girl as they stayed crouched down. She was pretty – _really_ pretty. Lucy would even go as far to say model worthy. The girl had short, silvery white hair which just barely reached her tiny shoulders. She was wearing a soft brown-colored jersey, along with shorts, dark, see through stockings and bark-colored, knee high boots. Lucy found herself feeling embarrassed about her own self appearance when being so close to someone so perfect. The wind must have made her bun even worse than what it had been earlier and she hadn't bothered with any makeup, just a bit of lip gloss. Her nanny had always told her that she didn't need any makeup, but Lucy liked the way it made her look, a bonus was how it managed to hide her faint freckles.

"Uh, here. I think there's still about half still inside," the girl said, offering the abused bottle back to Lucy, a shy smile on her face.

Lucy managed her own, reassuring smile at the stranger and accepted the bottle, before standing up and offering the stranger a hand. She took it and Lucy helped pull her up on her feet. "No worries, I always thought that these bottles were too overfilled anyway," Lucy said and the girl smiled wider at the attempt.

"You're Aquarius's niece, right?" the silver-haired girl asked, her pretty, ocean-blue eyes widening in recognition. "Lucy?"

Lucy nodded at the questioning tone. "That's me, Lucy Heartfilia. I just moved here a few days ago."

The girl's smile grew wider at the confirmation and before Lucy had the chance to blink, she found herself enveloped in a tight hug. Wow, this girl was strong! Is this a small town thing or something?

With one final squeeze, the happy stranger pulled back and allowed the startled blonde to breath.

"Uh, sorry. I'm just really-really excited that you're finally here!" she grinned, only making Lucy more envious of her natural beauty. "My name is Lisanna Dragneel. I'm your neighbor."

"My...neighbor?" Lucy murmured, her eyes widening in surprise. "Wait – you mean you live in that house next door?"

Her question pulled a giggle from the other girl. "That's usually what neighbor means, yeah."

"Right," Lucy smiled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yip, I live there with my brother, Natsu. Did you meet him yet? It's hard to miss him. Pink hair?"

The memory of a smirking, shirtless man suddenly flashed through Lucy's brain and she already could feel the anger flooding back. Natsu, huh? Lucy could think of a few more fitting names for him.

"Lucy? You okay?"

Lucy shook her head to get rid of the image and focused on the concerned girl in front of her. "Yeah, um sorry. Uh, I actually have met your brother." Despite her attempt at keeping her voice easy, Lisanna seemed to pick up on the bit of annoyance in her voice.

"Oh no," Lisanna sighed, her hands moving to rest on her hips. "What did Natsu do this time?"

This time? Did that mean that this was a normal experience for most people?

"Uh, it's not important," Lucy waved off with an awkward smile. She didn't really want to bad mouth someone to their sister. It wasn't her fault that he was such a jerk. "It was probably my fault for waking him up anyway."

"Heh, yeah. Natsu isn't the best morning person in the world. One time I threw water over him to get him up for school and I ended up getting dragged all the way down to the river."

"He threw you in the river!?" Lucy gaped in shock, but Lisanna only giggled more at her expression.

"Yip, but I did have it coming and the water was pretty warm too. It just sucked having to go to school in wet clothes," she grimaced at the memory.

"You didn't go back to change?" Lucy asked.

"There was no time," Lisanna shrugged again, before blushing slightly. "And um, I hate being late for school so yeah. I know it's kinda geeky but I'd rather sit though damp clothes then sit through detention."

"I guess we're both geeks then," Lucy smiled and Lisanna looked at her. "I'm all about the early bird too. Gotta catch that worm, you know?" Despite the cringy words, Lisanna giggled and Lucy mentally patted her back. She decided that she liked this new girl, she was nice and friendly. Maybe they could be friends and Lucy would have someone to talk to at school.

"Hee-hee, yeah well. Anyway, Natsu had it way worse than me," the white-head grinned. "He only ever sleeps in trousers or shorts, so he had to go to school with no top, but since that's against school code, he had to borrow my wet, pink jersey. You can imagine how angry he was."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the picture. "At least it matched his hair." Both girls giggled at that.

"Piece of advice?" Lisanna grinned, a hand muffling the stray giggles she let escape. "When your near him, rather refer to his hair as 'Salmon'. He gets pretty grumpy if you say it's pink."

Lucy rolled her eyes with a smile at that. "Sure, I'll remember that. So, uh you said that you and your brother lived next door? What about your parents?"

"Oh, they're work out of town. We don't really see them very often." Lucy couldn't help but feel that that answer sounded rehearsed.

"Oh."

Lisanna then bend down to pick up Lucy's forgotten basket, and the blond noticed how the lithe girl didn't have any problem with the weight – that or she was just very good at hiding her struggle?

"Here, why don't I help you with this and let me pay for the bunch?" Lisanna offered, her smile still in place.

"Oh-no, you don't have to. I couldn't let you do that," Lucy shook her head, but the other girl already started to walk towards the tills.

"Don't be silly, I was the one that spilled it after all. If I don't make it up to you, I won't be able to forgive myself!"

"That was just the milk though!"

"Details, Lucy! Details!"

Lucy easily caught up with the determined silverette and the two were already close to the first til when Lucy managed to stop her.

"How bout this? I can tell that I won't win here so why don't you buy pay for the milk and we call it even?"

Lucy watched at the silver-haired girl pouted for a second at the request, before it changed to an excited smile.

"Fine, but only if you promise to let me make you some tea when we get home?" Even though she said it as a condition, there was a strange, nervous hesitance in her voice and Lucy found herself wondering why. Did she expect a rejection?

With a fake sigh of defeat, Lucy nodded her consent, earning a surprised and excited squeal from the other girl. Why not? This could be a good opportunity to get to know her and become friends. Her bed could wait a little longer.

"That's a deal then!" Lisanna announced and the girl twirled around to face the til, but accidentally bumped into an older women who had moved to the til at the same time.

"Oh, Sorry. I didn't see-"

"How dare you," the women scowled down Lisanna, her nose scrunched up as if having Lisanna touch her was disgusting. "Don't you ever look where you're going, useless girl."

The women's words had Lisanna shrinking slightly, an embarrassed flush covering her face and Lucy felt her annoyance swell. What was this women's problem, treating someone like that?

"Hey, she didn't see you, miss. It's not the end of the world," Lucy stepped up, one hand moving to rest on the down girl's shoulder. She didn't miss how the women's squinty eyes narrowed at the action.

"You're that new girl, aren't you?" the women asked, her voice less angry, but now she was only looking at Lucy, almost pretending that Lisanna wasn't there.

"I am," Lucy frowned, not really wanting to talk with someone so rude. Whoever this women was, she probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

"Hm," the women huffed. "Then let me give you some advice: Stay away from this one." The women's chin tilted in Lisanna's direction. "Her and her family, they're trouble. If you have any sense in that blonde head of yours, you'll keep your distance."

Lucy felt herself getting more and more impatient with the stranger. "Why should I listen to you? I don't even know you."

Her words had the older women frowning deeper and Lucy watched as she scoped up her own basket, before giving a meaningful look her way. "It's bad luck to hang around with their sorts. Don't say I didn't warn you." And with that, the women stormed off to another til, all the way on the other side of the store. Lucy watched with confusion at her retreat.

"That was...weird," Lucy whispered, her eyes leaving the women and falling back to where Lisanna was staring down at her shoes. "Hey, what did she mean by bad luck?"

Lisanna bit into her bottom lip before forcing herself to make eye contact with Lucy again, her expression nervous. "Nothing, um. I don't really know. Just some silly town rumors. It's kind of a problem for my family...I...understand if you don't want me to talk to you anymore."

Lucy blinked in surprise at the suggestion and a rush of anger went through her body. How could that women treat someone as nice as Lisanna like that? She couldn't imagine how anyone could not instantly like her.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucy said, her shoulders slumping and Lisanna peeked back at her through her silver bangs. "You still owe me that tea, remember? If you think I'm letting you off, you're crazy."

Her words managed to have Lisanna pull down her protective wall and just like that, the girl was grinning happily again, relief clear on her face.

"I would never!" Lisanna giggled and both girls went to pay.

Afterwards, while they were walking out the store, Lucy's mind went back to how weird that old women had acted with Lisanna, a strange feeling building inside her. She didn't believe that there was anything weird about the overly happy girl – except being too pretty, but Lucy couldn't shake the feeling.

Well, whatever it was, it didn't matter. She liked Lisanna and having a friend around her would make her life a lot easier. At least she had managed to meet her neighbors now.

Too bad that Natsu guy wasn't as welcoming as his sister.

* * *

**PS: Sorry about Natsu. I know he's out of character, but he'll get better ;D**

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit more confusing...

**Hi everyone!**

**Here's chapter two. I'd like to apologize for any spelling errors and for the late update. I was hoping to get it out two days ago, but things happen, you know?**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like this new chapter (^.^) Please let me know what you think!**

**Oh! And you so much for the lovely reviews I got for the first chapter, I'm so happy!**

**If you have any issues or suggestions, please let me know :D**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

It was a quick drive back to the house, Lucy tailing behind a faded, red bakkie, which apparently Lisanna and Natsu owned. Lucy watched as Lisanna parked next to the other car in front of her and her brother's house, before parking her own car by her own house.

The blonde had just turned off the ignition when the front, passenger seat swung opened, making the poor girl jump in surprise.

"Sorry, figured I'd give you a hand with the bags," Lisanna smiled guiltily at the startled look on the blonde's face, already grabbing and balancing Lucy's groceries in her arms.

Lucy blinked a couple times before nodding and hopping out of the car, shutting the door closed behind her. "Thanks," Lucy said as she walked around the front of the car to help her new friend carry. Her eyes drifted off to where the bakkie, had been parked and she frowned. "Wow, did you run over here? Someone's excited about that tea." Her tone was playful, but it was still crazy how fast Lisanna had gotten to her car so quickly.

A bashful giggle was sounded and Lucy turned to see the smaller girl overloaded with her groceries. She couldn't even see her face anymore.

"Yeah, you kinda have to be a fast runner in my house. Don't get me started on the bathroom situation in the mornings," Lucy heard Lisanna say behind the tower of bags.

"Noted," Lucy grinned at the sight and went to grab some of the bags that were slipping, at least allowing Lisanna to see in front of her again. "Better?"

Lisanna smiled a smile that showed off her perfect teeth. "It is nice to see where I'm going, yeah."

Lucy shook her head fondly at the remark and turned towards her house and spoke over her shoulder: "Come on, lets go inside."

"Lead the way!"

Lucy laughed at the way Lisanna had to tilt her chin high as she spoke, before leading her into the house.

"Just dump them on the table," Lucy instructed once they were in the kitchen, she already haven placed her own bags on the kitchen counter and proceeded to unpack their contents. She hoped she got everything, but it wasn't like Aquarius had left her a list or anything.

"Wow, you house is so nice."

"You've never been in here before?" Lucy asked, but then again her aunt wasn't the most polite person, when it came to strangers. She remembered the blue-haired women glaring down at any stranger they ever ran into and she was never fully nice to her father either.

"No, um. Your aunt is kinda intimidating, I could never build up the courage to come over and speak to her, but I do really adore her house. So cozy."

Lucy smiled at the word. It was probably the best world to describe her aunt's house – at least during the day.

Aquarius had a sort of obsession with anything related to the ocean. Because of that, her home was decorated with various sea shells and beach-y styled paintings. Lucy liked it. It was probably her favorite thing about the house. Ever since she was little, from when her mother was still around, Lucy had always loved the beach. It came with good memories.

"You really bought a lot of stuff," Lisanna voiced and Lucy turned her head to see the silver-haired girl also taking out the goods out. "You planning on having a party or something?"

"Hah, maybe if I wanted my aunt to kill me," Lucy grinned and turned back to finish unpacking her groceries and throwing the plastic bags away. "Besides, I don't think what I have in those bags are very party-worthy."

"You have a point. I don't see one bag of chips anywhere. Totally a nessassaty when it comes to parties."

"Don't hate on my groceries. They are made for living a healthy life," Lucy warned with a teasing smile.

"Sure," Lisanna shrugged and pulled out a bag of brusslesprouts and stuck out her tongue in disgust. "If your planning on living painfully. Yuck, who eats brussle sprouts anymore."

"Healthy people."

"I think I'll stay on the dark side a little longer,"

"Ow," Lucy grinned at the girl, before faking a disappointed look. "And I was so hoping to cook us up some to have with our tea too."

"I'm good, thanks," the silver-head grimaced and reached out to grab another packet.

Laughing, Lucy walked over to help Lisanna with the rest of the bags when a thought ran through her head. "Hey, what did you want to buy at the store? You didn't buy anything and I didn't see you leave with anything – uh you know, besides my stuff."

The question seemed to make the girl pause in her work, her eyes widening for a second, before she reached up to cover her eyes with her hands.

"Oh, I forgot! I was supposed to stock up on some snacks."

"Snacks?"

The silver-head nodded, before lowering her hands, a smile playing at her lips. "Yeah, I have a serious sweet tooth and this morning I found out that Natsu had eaten most of my candy, including a whole jar of peanut butter, my last two fudge pops – my favorite by the way."

"Oh," Lucy said, her hands busy taking out a carton of eggs from a store bag.

"And about all the chips I had hidden in the house," Lisanna sighed, her earlier frustration clear in her voice.

"Wow," the blonde gaped, the groceries suddenly forgotten as she looked at the other girl. "One guy at all that? Is he part garbage disposal?"

Lisanna huffed out a laugh, her attention going back to the bags on the table. "I wouldn't be surprised," she shrugged. "But it's not like I can talk. I eat just as much, sometimes more on a bad day."

Lucy wanted to ask what she meant by a bad day, but stopped herself from prying. It was possible that she meant it in a general way.

"How do you guys stay so fit?" Lucy chose instead to say. "I eat one bag of chips and gain like five pounds!"

"Good genetics?"

"I feel like calling my father and complaining," Lucy smiled pitifully and Lisanna giggled at the blonde's sour expression.

"We're...just lucky I guess," she paused to tuck a silver strand behind her ear. "It can be pretty frustrating sometimes, actually."

"You want to swap metabolisms?" Lucy asked and reached to grab the empty store bags. "I'd be happy to trade you."

Lisanna's head jerked up in surprise at the joke to find a grinning Lucy and she laughed, the blonde joining in too.

"...You know, you're really nice," Lisanna suddenly says and Lucy's laughter dies down at the serious tone in her voice.

"Um, thanks," the blonde smiled, not really knowing what else to say to that. "You're really nice too. I can tell that we'll be great friends." Lucy almost cringed at her own words, hoping she didn't sound too hopeful, but then noticed the girl blushing, a tiny smile on her pretty face.

"I hope so," Lisanna says and then looks at Lucy, her eyes big and questioning. For some reason she looked like she was holding back something, like she was afraid to speak her mind and Lucy decided that she didn't like it. If they were going to be friends, she wanted Lisanna to trust her.

"Lisanna you know you can talk to me, right? I'm not going to throw you out or anything. Friends don't do that to each other..." Lucy playfully tapped her own chin in mock thinking. "Or at least not without good reasons anyway."

When she looked back at the girl, Lucy was relieved to see that Lisanna looked more relaxed, even if not entirely.

"I bet you had a lot of friends back home," Lisanna smiled, her gaze lowering to the random items scattered over the table. "You just seem like the type that gets along with everyone she meets."

Lucy frowned softly at the words, before leaning her elbows on the table, her brown eyes glued to the fridge a head of her. "I didn't have that many friends, but yeah, I did have a few," her words were soft and she noticed how the silver-head turned to watch her. "They were great. I miss them a lot, even though I haven't even been gone that long...but to be honest, I didn't  _really_  get to know them that well. I actually only ever saw them at school, but that doesn't mean that I was okay with leaving them."

"Why weren't you able to see them outside school?" Lisanna whispered, like she was worried that Lucy would snap out of it and retreat. "family?"

Lucy nodded and turned to smile a bit tightly at the girl. "My father owns his own business so we were always so busy with events. He also wanted me to focus on my studies, so it didn't leave a lot of room for other things." 'That and the fact that he wanted to shelter me,' Lucy thought, her smile wavering slightly for a second. Lisanna seemed to notice but didn't mention it. She was grateful.

"I'm sorry," Lisanna hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently placing her hand over Lucy's on the table. Lucy understood why and she appreciated the thought, even if it wasn't necessary. She didn't hold it against her father, she knew he had also been suffering from her mother's death. Yes, she wished that she had been able to run free a bit more and make more friends, but in the end, she was okay. She had been content.

"Thanks," the blonde says and smiled reassuringly at the look she got in return. With a quick squeeze back, Lucy retracts her hand and stands up straight. "Hey, what do you say to ditching the tea and moving onto some lemonade? It's so warm outside, it'd be a crime to stay inside."

The question brought out an excited smile from the silver-haired beauty. "Love to. Honestly, after seeing the kind of milk you buy, I was not looking forward to finding out how that tea would taste."

"You actually bought that milk today," Lucy pointed out and walked over to the fridge to get the jug of lemonade. "And by the way, you could've drank it without milk. It's healthier like that anyway."

"Nah, dark side, remember?" Lisanna grinned.

"Right, right."

* * *

Lucy lead them back outside, both girls holding a tall glass of cold lemonade.

"My aunt doesn't have any outdoor furniture, so I guess our options are either standing or sitting on the ground," Lucy said, a bashful look on her face. Maybe they could bring out the kitchen's chairs? Her aunt would probably skin her alive if she ever found out, but at least she would be a good host.

"That's okay, we don't own anything like that either," Lisanna's preppy voice said, before plopping down on the front step. "Besides, if we sit here, we get a great view of your aunt's garden. I always loved it."

Lucy looked out around her at the many patches of growing flowers that made up Aquarius's garden. She had to admit that the women had quite the green thumb.

"Guess your right," the blonde smiled and went to sit herself down, next to her neighbor who had occupied herself with drinking the yellow beverage.

" _Hmhm_ ," Lisanna hummed and licked her lips thankfully. "That hits the spot, definitely better than tea."

"Glad you like it, it took forever to squeeze out all that juice," Lucy said and took a sip from her own glass. Smooth, cool liquid invaded her mouth and the blonde couldn't deny the amazing taste. It was just what she needed.

"Hey, you've only been here a couple of days, right?"

Lucy nods. "Yip, this is day number three – not that I'm counting."

"Right," Lisanna smiled. "But how are you adjusting. Do you miss home yet?"

Lucy must have made a face without realizing it because Lisanna was suddenly apologizing, her one, free hand waving frantically in front of her.

"Oh-sorry! I didn't mean to overstep or anything – or make you feel sad, I just, uh."

Lucy giggled at the frantic girl and shook her head, silencing the jungle of words coming from the poor girl. "It's okay, it's a normal thing to ask."

"Still," Lisanna bit her bottom lip. "...I should be more sensitive."

"Really, I'm fine. Adjusting is tough, but it's not like this is the first time I've been here."

That caught the silver-head by surprise. "You've been here before? I've never seen you though."

"I used to come here a lot with my parents for holidays, but it was only when I was little, so I bet most people wouldn't have remembered me. I'd like to think that I've changed that much at least."

"I think you'll be surprised. I'm not very clued in with the rest of the town, but even I heard that Aquarius's niece was coming."

"Yeah, but you live right next door," Lucy said. "Of cause you would have found out eventually."

"Right..." Lisanna voiced, before clearing her throat. "So not to change the subject, but, what's the city like?"

"Huh?" Lucy turned to face a curious-looking Lisanna.

"The city?" she repeated, a spark of wonder in her eyes. Lucy couldn't help but smile at it. "It must be so different than here. All noisy and thousands of glamorous people rushing around to get to where they need to be. Must be so exciting."

"Wow, someone watches a lot of movies," Lucy laughed, bring her glass down to hang between her knees. "I'm from Florida and it's not as glamorous as all that, just a lot more..."

"Alive?" Lisanna offered, her glass already empty and abandoned on the step.

"Not the word I would have used, but yeah," Lucy shrugged. "Definitely different than here, for sure. For one thing, we have more than one convenience store around."

"Sounds amazing already. What else?" the girl asked. "I bet it'd be beautiful to live somewhere with palm trees and so much opportunities."

A memory of her father yelling at her and locking her in her room one day after she had snuck out to see her friends flashed through the blonde's mind, but Lucy was quick to shake it off. It wasn't important or anybody's fault. They had both been healing in their own ways.

"Just think of enormous shopping malls, endless parking and a lot of beaches filled with tourists. You'll understand Florida," Lucy smiled and brought up her drink for another sip.

"Oh! You must have spent everyday on the beach," Lisanna sighed wishfully. "I mean, you have a decent tan and you got that cute, beach blonde hair.

Lucy blushed at the compliment, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I tried to go whenever I had a chance, but it wasn't often and if you think this is tan then you'd be wrong."

"Really?"

"Yip, I could be considered pale compared to some of other girls I saw on the beach. Try almost brown, like gold almost."

"Well, if you're pale, they'll probably think I'm a ghost," Lisanna rubbed at her cheek, a depressed pout formed on her lips.

Lucy shrugged with a smile. "Maybe, Florida is all about the sun, but your colour suits you, makes you look almost porcelain. You have no idea how many girls would kill for that look."

"I think once they've gotten a feel for it, they'll quickly change their minds," the silver-head disagreed, before sighing again. "I wish I could see it – Florida I mean. It sounds amazing!"

"Maybe one day we can visit together?" Lucy offered. "I can show you all my favorite places. I think you'd be shocked, it's way different from here."

The excitement on Lisanna's face shifted slightly, but not fully and Lucy wondered why.

"You know a lot of people don't even know that this place even exists," the silver-head said, her head tilting up to look at the clear, blue sky. "We were the same before we ended up moving here."

Right, they weren't always here. Lucy blinked at the realization. She would have remembered if there had been a white haired girl and pink haired boy living next door to her aunt's house all those years ago. It wasn't something you would forget so easily.

"Where did you guys move from anyway?" Lucy asked, following Lisanna's lead and leaned back to stay up at the sky. "Based on what I've heard, you didn't come from the city, right?"

Lisanna sighed small. "I wish, no Natsu and I come from another small town, maybe a little bigger than this one. I think we had one extra clothing store."

"Why'd you move?"

For a moment there was no answer and Lucy tilted her head to look at Lisanna, who was still busy with the sky.

"Lisanna?"

Lucy noticed the nervous swallow, before the girl answered, her voice almost controlled. "Just some complications, it doesn't matter now. Long story short is that our parents stayed there and we moved." Despite her words, Lisanna seemed tense, like she didn't want to speak about it.

"That all?" Lucy asked softly.

"Hmm," Lisanna hummed, obviously avoiding Lucy's gaze. "It's really not that interesting. I don't even think about it anymore."

Lucy could guess that she was hiding her hurt, but she didn't know from what. Did they have a falling out with their parents? Whatever it was, Lucy wasn't going to pry it out of her. They would have plenty of time to open up to each other, now that she was living here. Still, she wanted to give her new friend some support, something she had yearned for years ago, but never got.

Looking at Lisanna, Lucy guessed that maybe she was in a similar situation.

Scotching closer, Lucy nudged Lisanna's shoulder with her own and gave the surprised girl a comforting smile.

"I meant it when I said you could talk to me," Lucy said and watched as the girl's blue eyes grew wider and glossy. She badly wanted to pull the frail-looking girl into a hug, but resisted, wanting to give her some space. "It counts for all topics. I'm hear to listen."

Lisanna blinked away the blurriness, Lucy pretended not to notice and the silver-head girl gratefully returned her smile. "Thanks Lucy. It goes both ways." Lucy grinned.

"Come on," the blonde said and reached over to take Lisanna's stray glass with her free hand. "I think I till have some sponge cake left in the fridge."

Lisanna's eyebrow raised at the suggestion. "Is this normal sponge cake?"

"It's edible and healthy. I think your body would appreciate a break from all the junk you eat too."

"Hey!" Lisanna giggled and both girls hopped onto their feet.

Lucy was about to head inside when her eyes widened as Lisanna turned to join her. It was for a brief second, but Lisanna's left arm blurs and Lucy swears that she had seen right through it!

'What the!?'

"Lucy? You okay?" Lisanna asks, her voice laced with concern when she sees the way the Blonde is staring at her. "What's wrong?"

"Uhm..." Lucy swallows and shakes her head in an attempt to calm herself. It was probably nothing, just a trick of the light. She was tired after all and probably just imagined it. Before she could answer though, the sound of a door swinging open and banging against the wall sounds from across the yard and Lisanna turns around in the direction.

"Huh, I guess the beast has finally woken up."

"B-beast?" Lucy blinks and forces herself to relax.

Lisanna smiles cheekily back at her and looks over at her house. "My brother."

Lucy blinks again and looks out towards the other house, only to see Lisanna's brother lumbering out of his house. A spike of annoyance returns to Lucy, instantly remembering how the guy had so rudely treated her this morning. Now, Natsu was at least more covered up; a rumpled up, grey shirt now blocking her view from the tan muscles she knew were hiding underneath. That thought was quickly and forcefully thrown out of Lucy's head, her face flushing in embarrassment and self-anger for even thinking of it in the first place. Still, when she looked back at the man, Lucy couldn't deny how good he looked, even with extra clothes on. His hair was still a pink mess, the fluffy spikes all in different angles. A brief flash of skin appears when Natsu reach up to ruffle the back of his head and Lucy blushed all the more at the stumouch muscles she could only just make out from where she stood. It wasn't fair how gorgeous he was.

'Beautiful face, body and a horrible attitude. The holy trinity of hot, bad boys,' Lucy pouted, then frowned in confusion. She could faintly hear voices coming from Lisanna's house. Was Natsu talking to himself? On the upside, she can at least add crazy to the list of words she could use to describe her male neighbor.

Wait – didn't she also speak to herself sometimes?

'Great, guess I'm crazy too then,' Lucy sighed.

"I think he's on the phone," Lisanna says destratively and Lucy looks out back at the pink-haired boy, squinting her eyes to try and see closer.

On closer inspection, the blonde also noticed the hand holding something against his one ear – his phone. What got her attention though was his body language. Natsu almost seemed to be glaring out into the open, his body tense. Lucy still couldn't hear what he was saying, but who ever was on the other end of the phone call, it was obvious that Natsu didn't want to speak to them.

"Maybe whoever called him, woke him up," Lucy said and turned to see a worried look on her friend's face. "Is...is everything okay?"

Lisanna practically snapped her head turning to face Lucy, her comforting smile back in place, but Lucy could see the strain. Did Lisanna know who her brother was talking too? "It's nothing," Lisanna waved off. "Natsu probably just got into another fight with one of our friends, it happens all the time. It'll blow over."

Lucy nodded in understanding, her eyes still watching the careful expression on the other girl's face. Was it really that? Was it possible that it had something to do with their parents? Lisanna did seem down when she brought them up earlier.

An angry "Shit" was heard on the other side and Lucy returned her gaze to where a now obviously frustrated Natsu was still standing. The pink-head almost forcibly jammed his phone into his pants pocket and Lucy watched curiously at the way he ran his hands through his pink locks, only messing it up further.

His piercing gaze suddenly sweeps across the yard to her house and Lucy finds herself making eye contact with the man. Somehow, despite the moderate distance, Lucy could easily make out the intense look in his eyes. The stare quickly turned into a glare and Lucy's own, brown eyes widened at the aggression held there. A shiver ran down her spine and Lucy forced herself to break the contact, turning her head sharply to the side. It was only when she was safely staring down at the grass that she realized that she had been holding her breath.

That was weird.

"I think he wants to talk to me," Lucy heard Lisanna mumble, almost like she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Yeah?" Lucy asked and looked at the Silver-haired girl. Lisanna was still watching over at Natsu, the same worried look still on her face.

'It must be a family problem,' Lucy concluded, before pulling one of the two glasses she still held, placing it in between her arm holding the other arm and then reached out to gently touch Lisanna's stiff shoulder. "That's okay, go ahead. We can have the cake another time."

The invitation brought the girl out of her tense stage and she looked back wide-eyed at the blonde. "Really? You're not upset?"

'Why would I be upset?' Lucy thought, but kept the question to herself, instead shaking her head in answer. "No way, I totally understand. How about tomorrow, around ten?"

A bright smile graced the girl's face and Lucy felt proud of herself, happy to make someone else smile like that.

"I'm so there."

* * *

Lucy was sitting sideways on the sofa, book in hand, feet perched up comfortably on the other end. The blonde was deeply invested in the story, a romance novel she had found in her aunt's book shelf.

It was raining now, the drops heavy and plenty outside, but it didn't bother Lucy in the slightest. If anything, it gave off a comfy feeling. Lucy adored the sun, but there was never a better time to read a good book then during a rainy day. She had been taken by surprise when it first started to drizzle, the cloud having taken over the previously clear sky. She wondered if it was normal around here – surprise rain spells?

A warm fire was lit up in the fire place, keeping the girl nice and toasty. The rainy atmosphere was perfect for reading, but Lucy had never been a fan of the cold. Never would be either, which is why she opted for the living room instead of her room. Her blankets wouldn't have had the same affect as the fire.

At first she had been a little disappointed at the change in weather, but quickly decided it was the perfect opportunity to scratch through her aunt's book collection. She'd be sure to put the book back before Aquarius came home. She just hoped that the impatient women wouldn't have any issue when driving back. It wasn't that far from the town, but it was still a bit of a trip and the rain didn't make it any better.

Lucy had just finished another chapter when a  _ **bang**_  sound came from the kitchen, the blonde almost dropping the book in fright. Quickly placing the book upside down on the sofa, as to not lose her place, Lucy got to her bare feet and walked into the kitchen.

Cold air instantly licked at the skin of her legs. Lucy had already changed into her pajamas after getting the fire started. She had picked the first thing she saw in her draws; a soft violet, long-sleeved, pajama shirt and matching shorts. Now though, she was regretting not having put on a pair of warm leggings.

With a badly compressed shiver, Lucy marched over to the cause of the cold air. One of the kitchen windows had been open – Lucy forgetting to close it when the rain started. She guessed that the wind must have swung the window, which had made the bang sound. The window handle was cold and wet when she touched and Lucy already longed to get back to the welcoming fire. Maybe she'd sit on the floor, in front of the fire place this time to get warm faster.

With the promising plan set in her mind, Lucy tried to quickly close the troublesome window. It must be old, because it was sticking a bit and Lucy had to struggle a bit to get it to move inch by inch.

Finally, the blonde managed to shut and lock the window, satisfied, almost gloating huff escaping her lips at the innocent window. She'd really have to talk to Aquarius about it, that or she'd leave it be...yeah, she'd leave it be. No need to get her aunt annoyed with her.

Sighing Lucy shook her head amusingly and looked through the window. The rain wasn't as heavy as it was earlier, but it couldn't be called drizzle just yet. She was sure that she would still get soaked if she stepped foot outside. It was dark out too, the bad weather making it even darker than what was normal. The fact that she couldn't see any city lights or hear cars driving by was still knew to Lucy. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not yet. What she did not like was being alone in this house at night time or at least when it was this dark out.

A quick glance at the kitchen clock notified Lucy that it was only 7:32. Aquarius would still be gone for a good two hours, maybe more if they needed her. Lucy planned to wait up for her. There was no way she would be able to sleep upstairs with this weather anyway – not if she was the only one in the house.

Looking back at the window, the blonde reached out to close the lilac-colored curtains when a light appeared outside.

"Hm?" Lucy squinted and leaned forward to see that the light coming from the neighbors house.

Through the rain, Lucy could just make out the shining white hair that could only belong to Lisanna. Lisanna had just rushed out her front door, leaving it wide open and allowing the yellow light to bright up the dark night a bit more. Lucy watched confused as Lisanna stomped away from the house, before a figure with pink hair – Natsu – ran up to her and grabbed her arm, stopping the girl from taking another step away. It looked like Natsu was talking or more like yelling something at her and Lucy stepped back in a panic when she saw the girl struggle to get out of her brother's grip, only to be twirled around forcibly to face him.

'Was he hurting her? Would he hit her?' The thought had Lucy gasp, her body already moving towards the back door. She didn't know what she was going to do, what she could do, but she had to make sure everything was okay.

The more she thought about it, the faster she ran and before she could calm herself, Lucy was already soaked in the rain. Uncareful, hurried steps had the blonde stumble on her knees to the soggy ground, her hands flying to the house's wall too late. An " _oof_ " escaped her lips from the impact, but Lucy was quick to pull herself back on her feet. The chilling cold suddenly became overbearingly noticeable and Lucy shivered. Her dripping hair had started to stick to her wet face and neck and Lucy was reminded yet again of how bad her choice of clothing had been.

"She's bad news, Lisanna!"

Lucy's head jerked up at the voice, her eyes moving instantly to where the two siblings still stood. Lucy made to move over to them with urgency, when Lisanna spoke.

"Lucy's not like that!"

The blonde froze in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock. They were arguing about her? The confused blonde steps back, her hands reaching behind her to grasp the wall of her house. Neither neighbor has noticed her yet and now Lucy wonders if it's a good thing. If they were fighting about her, would her being here be a good thing?

"You've known her for one day!" Lucy heard the furious, pink-haired man yell out.

"And you've know her even less! If you'd just give her a chance-"

"She's not welcome at our house." Natsu let go of the trembling girl, his eyes narrowed on her – Lisanna meeting it with a helpless glare. "And I don't want you going there again either."

"Natsu, please-"

"You know our rules, I can't let you make the same mistake."

"I'm not Zeref, Natsu-!"

Natsu suddenly grabbed the girl's shoulder, his hands visibly shaking even through the rain. Lucy's breath caught at the action and forced herself to stay where she was, but didn't look away at the seen. Natsu's eyes were colder now, centered on the shaken girl.

"Don't..." Natsu said, Lucy almost didn't hear him over the pour of the rain. His hands on his sister's shoulders loosened as he spoke. "Don't say it."

Lisanna's tense form relaxed at the soft words, her own hand moving to grip onto the fabric of the man's shirt tightly. "...Natsu please, don't...don't do this."

Natsu's expression softened down at the small girl. "Lis."

An undeniable sob was heard then and the silver-haired girl slowly sunk closer to her brother, burring her face into his chest. "I'm tired of all this. I don't want to hide anymore, I-" Another, more violent sob from her had Natsu wrapping his arms around her. The girl now fully crying against him.

"You have friends, Lis. Real friends." Natsu's voice was still soft, but pained as he squeezed the small girl closer to him. "You don't need anyone else."

"It's not the same and you know it," Lisanna whimpered. Lucy watched the girl shake, her body aching to go over there, but not knowing what to do. She didn't understand what was going on.

"They're still your friends and they're like you. They understand us," Natsu sighed out, his eyes closing and Lucy felt like the two had had this kind of conversation before. "You don't need someone like her."

'Someone like her?' Lucy frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. 'What was that supposed to mean? City girl? The blonde inched closer, her confusion getting the better of her, but the slippery ground had her almost slipping again, this time though, she managed to catch herself against the wall.

Panicked, the blonde's eyes shot back over to the siblings and her heart stopped for a second when her eyes met Natsu's shocked ones.

Lucy didn't dare speak or look away, knowing that she had been caught spying. The surprise in the man's dark eyes shifted to that cold look from earlier and again and Lucy froze.

Lisanna must have felt her brother's mood shift, because the silver-head stilled in her cries, her head lifting up to look up at his stone-y face. "W-what is it?"

Natsu didn't answer and the confused girl shifted in his tighter hold, peeking over her shoulder. Her eyes instantly found Lucy and they widened. "Lucy?"

Lucy met her gaze a bit hesitantly, having been in a lock down with her brother and she gave a sorry smile, not knowing what else to do.

The silver-haired girl blinked and another tear escaped her puffy eyes. 'She  _was_  crying,' Lucy thought, her chest squeezing at the sight.

"What are you-" Lisanna started, but the hold around her tightened and the girl looked back at her brother. "Natsu-"

"Go inside, Lisanna," Natsu's voice was no longer soft like before. It now seemed almost void. His arms released the girl and he stepped forward to stand in front of her. Lucy's eyes darted back to see his cold stare was still on her.

Lisanna's eyes widen in realization and looked back at the blonde. "Lucy, I-"

"Now, Lisanna," Natsu's voice interrupted, a threatening tone to it and Lucy flinched.

"Natsu...please."

Natsu didn't look back at the girl, but Lucy did see how his jaw tightened. "Go. I won't be long."

Lisanna bit into her bottom lip, her eyes clouding again and cast another look at Lucy. Lucy met it with a confused, but reassuring, small smile. The silverette's hands gripped onto the hem of her shirt, a sorry look on her face, before turning to walk back to the house. Lucy's eyes followed after her, only growing more worried. What was going on?

When Lisanna disappeared into the house, Lucy breathed out, when the sound of footsteps spluttered out. The blonde's eyes darted back to see that Natsu was now walking over to her and she tensed again. He took his time in making his way over, those cold eyes watching her almost bitterly. Lucy backed up until her back hit the wall and she fleetly thought of running back into her house.

"Why were you spying on us?" Natsu's hollow voice asked when he was only a few feet away from her, not daring to come closer, as if some line had been drawn in the sand.

"I-I wasn't, I-" Lucy grimaced at how nervous her voice sounded. The blonde swallowed, before forcing herself to meet his eyes again. "I just. I thought you were fighting – I saw you outside my window and-"

"This has nothing to do with you," Natsu coldly stated and Lucy bit her tongue at the tone. "Do us all a favor and steer clear of my sister. She doesn't need drama like you." Natsu said this, before turning away from her, planning to head back to his house. His words sparked a sling of anger in the blonde and Lucy's fists tightened against the wall behind her.

"Why are you so bitter?" Lucy whispered, her eyes hidden behind her wet fringe. She heard the man's steps halt at her words. "Is it fun for you to treat your sister like that? Like you own her?"

"I want my sister treated right," she heard him say after a beat of silence and Lucy's head rose to glare at his back.

"You have a funny way of showing it. It's obvious she isn't happy."

Natsu looked over his shoulder at her, his stare almost angry. "Don't act like you care. That whole good girl act doesn't work on me." He turned away again and started to walk away. "Just find another girl to be friends with, there's lost of others around here."

"Of cause I care!" Lucy's voice was annoyed, her body moving away from the wall as she glared at the man. What was this guy's problem? Why couldn't he let his sister do what she wanted? "Lisanna seems nice and my friend-"

A humorless laugh stilled the blonde's outburst and she watched as the man turned to smile almost pitifully back at her. "You don't know my sister, you don't know me and I don't trust you."

"You don't know me either," Lucy said back.

"I don't need to," Natsu shrugged. "I know your kind."

"My kind?" Lucy gritted out. "What's that supposed to mean? I get that you don't like me, but you have no right to treat me this way."

Natsu frowned at her, his eyes closing for a second. "I don't need to explain myself to you. Just stay away from us." He turned away again and Lucy glared.

"I don't care if trust me or not," Lucy's voice was calm, her body now relaxing in the cold rain. "Lisanna is sweet and I don't know why, but she's lonely. I'm starting to think it's because yous care all her friends away from her...I'm not going to let you do that to me."

She watches, satisfied with herself when Natsu turns to look back at her, a complicated look on his face. It reminded her of the look he had given her when she had invited him to hang out this morning.

Then, before she could blink, Natsu was suddenly standing right up close to her and the shock of it had Lucy instinctively backing up against the wall again. Natsu followed and she found herself trapped between him and the wall. Strong arms moved to in-cage her further by bracing them against the wall. She couldn't breath.

"Wha-what are you-"

"Listen to me very carefully," the sharp tone of the man had Lucy freezing in place, her eyes wide and glued to his chest. "I'm warning you.  _Stay away_  from Lisanna."

Lucy swallowed her shock, her head tilting up to see his eyes. "O-or what?" Despite the stutter, her words were strong, challenging even and the effect of it had Natsu furrowing his eyebrows, that cold stare shifting again to something she couldn't understand.

His voice was a whisper when he finally replied. "You don't wanna know, kitten."

And just like that, he backed away from her, leaving a startled Lucy to wobble to the ground. Her heart pounded widely and Lucy turned to watch him walk away, back to his house.

He doesn't look back once.

* * *

**Next chapter will hopefully be out by next week Tuesday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Natsu have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who liked or left a comment for this story. It's you guys that that make me carry on with it :D
> 
> Sorry if there are any spelling errors (like usual). Please let me know if you have any issues or basically any questions.
> 
> Please let me know what you think of this chapter and leave a review. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

 

"Luuucy? Lucy…!"

Brown eyes snapped open, the once laying girl jolting upright in alarm. In her confused wake, Lucy's body bolts backwards, her legs almost kicking the living daylights out of the person trying to wake her in the first place.

"Lucy!"

Lucy's eyes frantically swept over the room, searching for something, more of an instinct than a choice.

"Wha-where-?"

"Lucy, calm down. You were just having a dream."

Lucy's gaze settled on the blue-haired women kneeling beside her, a worried and startled look on her face. She forced her heart rate to slow down.

"A-Aqua?"

Aquarius's shoulders moved with her tired sigh, before standing up and dusting off her uniform. "That must have been one intense dream. I could hear you mumbling nonsense from the kitchen.

Lucy frowned in confusion when she finally took in her surroundings. The fire place is what she notices first, a new, healthy fire burning away. In her confusion, Lucy's eyes drop down to herself spread over the lounge's couch, with a knitted, lavender-colored blanket draped over her body. Lucy blinked down at the warm blanket. "This...isn't my room."

An amused huff came from her aunt and Lucy – still tired from her rough sleep – looked hazily back at the women. The look of distressed, messy blonde made the older women chuckle. Lucy didn't think it held much sympathy.

"Looks like you haven't fully woken up yet," Aquarius said and moved closer, and to Lucy's surprise, pressed her hand to the blonde's forehead. It was then that Lucy realized just how awful she felt.

Aquarius  _tsk'd_  and withdrew her hand, while Lucy replaced it with her own, feeling for herself just how warm her forehead was this morning.

"You're still burning up," her aunt said through a sigh, before adding; "But at least the fever's gone down a bit since last night," and proceeded to force the girl further up the couch into a better sitting position, her legs laying across the length of the couch.

"How'd I get sick?" Lucy groaned pathetically, allowing Aquarius to rearrange her body the way she liked.

"My guess is that it has something to do with you sleeping in those wet clothes last night," Aqua scolded lightly, tucking in the blanket under the blonde's bare feet. "Went I got home, you were passed out and still dripping. I would have gotten you changed if you weren't so heavy.  _Honestly_ , why would you think that that was a good idea?"

The unhappy question, along with a string of further comments flew right by the blonde as she remembered what had happened yesterday afternoon. She remembered the not-so-pleasant conversation she had had with Natsu, before being left in the rain. Lucy couldn't remember much after that, her headache pounding away the recently made memories. Her guess was that she had eventually come back inside and collapsed on the couch, still soaking wet with the rain and fallen asleep. No wonder she got sick.

"I feel horrible," Lucy whimpered, feeling her nose drip a bit. She sniffed.

"I'm not surprised," Aquarius replied. "What were you doing outside in the rain in the first place? Don't tell me that in the short time you've lived here you've gone and wasted all your remaining brain cells."

"Hey! Don't be mean to me, I'm sick," the blonde pouted up at the working women and tried to sink further into the cushions her aunt had gathered behind her back, only to be stopped by a firm hand.

"Oh no, you can go back to sleep  _after_  you've gotten some food in that tummy."

"But I wanna sleep..."

"Tough," the strict nurse informed and turned away to march into the kitchen before Lucy could start protesting again.

When she returned, she was holding a tray with a plate of steaming food, along with a cup of equally warm liquid – Lucy guessed it to be tea. There was also an opened box of tissues dangling from her one hand, under the tray.

"Aqua...I'm not hungry – and I can't breath through my nose. How'm I supposed to eat?"

"That's not my problem, I didn't tell you to get sick," Aquarius firmly said and set the tray down on Lucy's lap, the tissue box dropping by her feet. "At least try to eat most of it," she asked, her voice softer as she took a seat in the bit of space beside Lucy's legs.

Lucy sniffed grumpily at the food, the sight of it only making her stomach squeeze in rejection, but she still nodded. Despite her less than willingness to eat right now, she was still touched that her aunt had taken the time to do this for her. Back home it was a normality, something her nanny had been payed to do – Aqua was doing this because she cared. Picking up the fork and knife on her tray, Lucy went first for the scrambled eggs, not missing the satisfied look of her aunt when she did.

"Yum," Lucy croaked when it was in her mouth, not actually tasting the food, the urge to breathe overpowering anything else.

Aquarius rolled her eyes at the word and leaned forward to pull back her niece's blonde hair to lay over the pillows and armchair. "Spoiled brat." Lucy made a protesting sound, Aquarius rolled her eyes again. "I want you to take a bath later, the steam will be good for you." Lucy nodded, probably the only thing she could agree with right now.

Swallowing the barely chewed egg pieces, Lucy dropped the utensils and hurried to cover her nose when she sneezed, sighing in relief when she managed to keep the contents back.  _Ew._

"Can I have a tissue, please?" she sniffed and blinked watery back at the older women.

Aqua leaned back to grab the box of tissues and offered them to Lucy, the blonde gratefully taking one and then proceeded to blow her nose.  _Ew-er._

When she was finished, she looked around for somewhere to put the now damp tissue, before awkwardly placing it on the corner of the tray. Well, it's not like it could make the food anymore undesirable, right?

"I know you feel gross, but if you don't eat more, you'll only feel worse," Aqua warned and nudged the tray. Lucy went back for the eggs.

"Hum, I'm sorry about crashing on your couch last night," Lucy said nazzily, staring at the fluffy yellow on her fork. "And also for troubling you. I know how tired you are after you get back from work,"

"Don't worry about me, I'm not the one with a stuffy nose," Aqua brushed off the apology, picking up the white cup of tea, holding it out to her niece. Lucy set down her knife and accepted the beverage.

"Thanks," the blonde smiles small and takes a sip. Warmth soon floods down and heats up her chest and then settling in her tummy, the welcome feeling has the blonde going back for another sip.

"I hate to leave you, but I have another long shift at the hospital," her aunt says after a beat of comfortable silence, the sentence laced with her obvious irritation. Lucy smiles reassuringly.

"That's okay, I'll probably just end up sleeping most of the day anyway."

Aquarius still looks annoyed at the situation, her expression only softening when Lucy took another, obedient, small, mouthful of eggs. The look was quickly replaced back to the former when Aquarius's phones aggressively beeped from it's spot on the fireplace ledge.

Lucy watched as her aunt moved to get it and, with more force than needed, typed a reply. It wasn't a mystery who was on the other end of that conversation.

"Dammit Virgo," the blue-haired women hissed and looked back at the sick girl. "Sorry kid, they need me over there now. Apparently it's an emergency." It was obvious that her aunt didn't want to go, now more than yesterday considering Lucy's state, but what could she do? Aquarius was the head nurse of the only hospital in the town.

"It's totally fine," the blonde said between bites, taste buds uninterested. "Go save people with more threatening diseases, all I ask is that you think of me when you do."

"Hmm," Aquarius hummed, eyeing the blonde when she suddenly coughed. The phone beeped again and Aquarius sighed – well, more like growled – in defeat and grabbed her handbag, then turned to give Lucy a serious look. "If you need anything, you call me."

"Yes, Aqua."

"Take a bath and there's more food in the microwave and I left some medicine for you on the counter. Don't you dare think about leaving this house today."

"Aqua, I'm not a kid. I know the drill," Lucy grinned. She would have laughed if she wasn't trying to fight off another sneeze. Instead she gave her aunt a thumbs up, smiling when she got another eye-roll.

Aquarius then walked to the door, pulled on her coat and opened the door. "You better not be worse off when I get home."

"Love you too, Aqua!" said back in a hitch-y voice and only gave into the threatening sneeze once her aunt had closed the door behind her. A disgusted moan left the sick girl's lips and she snatched another tissue, before disposing it next to it's twin on the tray….yeah, she was  _so_  done eating.

Not bothering to move the tray off of her lap, Lucy leaned back against the pillows, a heavy sigh leaving her at the feeling, only to bring out more coughing.

The house was quiet then, only the sound of the cracking fire could be heard. It was more than welcome. With nobody else there to distract her, Lucy's mind switched back to yesterday evening and the memory had her frowning. What was Natsu's problem? He had straight up threatened her last night – not that Lucy took it too seriously. If she was going to afraid of anything, it wasn't about to be moody teenage boys. Nope, she got her fill of that in the city.

But did what happened yesterday mean that she wouldn't be able to see Lisanna anymore?

A soft, almost inaudible knock sounded at the door and Lucy's eyes moved to stare at it. After a minute, the knocks came again, this time a little louder.

With a whimpered protest, Lucy forced herself off the comfy couch, carefully moving the tray further up so she wouldn't knock it over. The blonde then walked to the door, immediately missing the warmth of the blanket, her bare legs and feet open to the cold world again.

"Hello?" Lucy sniffed as she opened the door, only to see the messiest version of Lisanna she has seen so far – and the word messy wasn't the best choice of adjective. Lisanna's pretty, silver hair was ruffled up, partly from the wind and partly from what she figured was a restless sleep. The girl was also dressed in loose-fitting pajamas. Not a trace of makeup was on her face, but it took nothing away from her pretty face. Lucy would still say that she was model worthy – pixie like even in this state of dress.

"L-Lisanna?" Lucy blinked in surprise, trying to get her thoughts straight. Maybe she should have expected the visitor too be her female neighbor, Aqua would never knock so softly and she didn't think anybody else would come over to see her. Still, after her conversation with Natsu last night and the memory of Lisanna's own one, Lucy hadn't expected to see the silver-haired girl so soon. "What are you doing-"

Before Lucy could finish her sentence, Lisanna suddenly spoke; "I'm so sorry about Natsu. Lucy, I don't know how I can make it up to you, b-but I never, ever meant for that to happen – honest." Lisanna's voice was shaky and the girl was trying hard to avoid eye contact.

"Lisanna..."

"He's a jerk, I know, but he's my brother and-"

"Lisanna, you don't need to apologize to me," said gently and took a step toward the now trembling girl. "Really, I'm not mad."

Lisanna shook her head, eyes finally meeting Lucy's. A look of guilt, sadness and...urgency was held there. Did she think Lucy hated her for something her brother did? Lucy felt her headache grew heavier.

"It's okay."

"No it's not," the silverette whispered. "Look, he just worries a lot, but he'll calm down once he gets to know you. It just takes time."

The memory of Natsu's cold stare flashed through Lucy's memory and she winces. "I doubt that."

Lisanna looks like she's about to cry at that statement and Lucy instantly wants to take it back. The girl looks down again, biting her lip.

"Please. Don't tell me he's run you off too."

Lucy frowns, her earlier assumptions coming back. 'So this  _has_  happened before.' It made her angry. Taking another step forward, Lucy reached out and gently, but firmly grasped her friend's shoulder, urging her to meet her eyes. " _No_ , okay. Natsu doesn't scare me and he doesn't get to choose whether I get to be friends with you or not."

For a moment, Lisanna looks shocked, like she doesn't believe her, but before Lucy can say anymore, her friend lets out a long, strangled breath and lunges herself onto Lucy in a hug. Lucy stumbles back in surprise, but manages to catch herself, quickly returning the hug. Lucy's heart clenches at the watery gasp Lisanna makes as she hugs her.

"Lisanna-"

"I'll fix this. Promise." Lisanna whispers and Lucy closes her mouth, a small smile forming at the ridiculousness of it all. Lisanna didn't owe her anything, not a bit. Still, Lucy squeezed the girl tighter, her way of saying it really was okay, when Lisanna eventually retracts from the hug, a relieved look on her face. She still looks like she might cry, but at least the reason for it is different now.

"I really will make this up to you," she says again and Lucy shakes her head.

"There's nothing to fix. Don't worry about it."

Lisanna doesn't look convinced, but nods anyway. "I'll talk to later, okay? I didn't mean too come by so early,I can see that I woke you up, but I was so worried about what Natsu might have said to you yesterday. I just had to make sure you were okay."

'I was okay?' Lucy blinked. She had been more worried about Lisanna.

"You didn't wake me," Lucy reassures, hoping her voice isn't coming off too scratchy. She had a feeling that Lisanna would blame herself if she found out Lucy had gotten sick. It could wait a little longer, at least until she calmed down. "I was wake, just not up yet." It was technically true.

Lisanna nodded in relief and started to try to smooth out her own hair. The strands tamed instantly from her touch, but Lisanna didn't seem to be satisfied, laughing out at it. "Sorry, I must look a mess. I didn't even brush my teeth before I marched over here."

If any other girl had said that to her, Lucy would have been overcome with jealousy and anger, but even if she was a bit jealous of the gorgeous girl in front of her, she wasn't annoyed with her. Lisanna seemed to not know just how pretty she was and Lucy liked that about her. It was nice to see someone so modest.

"You look great," Lucy smiled. "It's me that's in dire need of a shower." And a couple painkillers.

"No, you're always so cute," Lisanna blushed prettily. "But I really should head back now. I'll see you later?"

"Sure, I'll see you later," Lucy replies with a smile, fighting the urge to sneeze again. She gets another quick hug before the girl jogs off back to her own house and Lucy watches with a confused mind.

She was grateful that nothing had changed between them, but there was still something off about all of this.

" _You don't know Lisanna. You don't know me and I don't trust you."_

Natsu's words echoed in her ears, almost like he was here right now and Lucy's frown deepened. She didn't know why Natsu refused to allow his sister other friends, but she knew one thing; she wasn't going to let him scare her away. She couldn't do that to Lisanna.

'He'll just have to deal with it. I'm here to stay,' Lucy thought determinedly and went back inside.

* * *

The next couple of days are a blur of unpacking and redecorating.

Lucy is mostly settled into her room now, the last box of luggage now emptied. She had managed to cram most of her clothes into her wardrobe, but a few sweaters had to be sacrificed to the guest bedroom. It wasn't a train smash, Lucy preferred to think of it as having two closets. The only problem now was that Aquarius had taken to digging into the extra closet herself from time to time. Lucy didn't really mind, but the idea of her favorite pink sweater having the possibility of being smeared with blood at the hospital gave her chills. When she brought it up to her aunt though, Aqua had looked at her like an idiot and told her that's not how her job worked. Lucy still feared for the worst when Aqua borrowed one of them.

Lucy Heartfilia slumped down against her bed, a breathy "Finally" leaving her lips. She can't believe it took her this long to get her room in order. Brown eyes flickered over to her bedroom window, where beams of sunlight were shining through. It seemed like a beautiful day, there wasn't even a gasp of wind to be heard. She couldn't see much from where she was laying on her bed, but by now Lucy knew the view from her window pretty well. She had a direct view of her neighbor's house. Sometimes, when it was really quiet, she could even hear the two siblings. She could never really make out just what they were saying though.

Lucy's thoughts went on to her newest friend – the only one she had made here so far. She had seen Lisanna everyday since that weird morning where the silver-haired girl had come over to apologize to her. Lisanna would repeat the apology every once in a while, but Lucy would always shush her, telling her not to mention it again. She had gotten over it and she had never been angry with Lisanna in the first place anyway.

So, besides the frequent apologies, their friendship was going pretty strong and Lucy found her days to be less boring than when she first got here. There still wasn't much to do in the small town of Widforth, but at least now she had a friend to keep her company. Lisanna was a lot of fun too, really preppy and sweet. Lucy was glad to have her. And by the look Lisanna would sometimes give when she thought Lucy wasn't looking, she was pretty happy too.

Hopping off her bed, Lucy lazily walked over to the open window. It had a large frame and had no bars, allowing the blonde to easily lean her arms over it and stick her head just slight outside. There really wasn't any breeze, only the warm sun glossed over her cheeks. It was heavenly.

Lucy sighed out contently, before looking forward at the other house in the area. She hadn't seen Lisanna today. Lucy had texted her earlier, but received nothing back yet. She had just figured the silver girl was still sleeping. There was the option of going over to her house, but Lucy long time decided against the idea. Ever since they had that talk, Lisanna never again offered for her to come over. Lucy could understand why. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go over, not if it would start another fight between the two siblings and anyway, they usually had Aqua's house to themselves. It was just easier.

Nothing exciting came from the neighboring house and Lucy soon lost interest, turning her gaze to sweep over the garden bellow. Aqua really had the green thumb, she'd made a master piece of her garden. Lucy smiled at the pretty display of pretty daffodils.

Looking over the landscape, Lucy's eyebrows furrow when she notices that one of the cars from the neighbor's house is missing. The red bakkie stood alone under a tree, the spot usually kept by the other car was empty. One of them must have gone to town.

Humming, Lucy leaned her head against the window frame boredly. It was most likely Lisanna that had drove off – probably on another chunk food run. She kinda wished that Lisanna had asked her to tag along. While not the most fun of activities, it would at least be something to do. Now that Lucy had sorted out her bedroom, she had nothing to do. Her brown eyes then went to look at her own car, standing almost out of her view. Lucy had to strain her neck a bit to fully see the white vehicle.

It was, in a word,  _filthy_. Lucy eyed the dirty car warily. Mud painted the lower parts of the car and covered the wheels. The white colour of the vehicle was coated with speckled dirt, caused by the winds from the previous few days. When was the last time she had it washed? Oh right, the day before she left the city. There was now another thing to miss – car washes.

Biting her inner cheek, Lucy contemplated on going down and washing the car herself. If she didn't do it, nobody else was going to – especially not her aunt. The weather was nice today too, maybe it was a sign?

The blonde moved away from the window, intentions set. She would clean the car! It would give her something to do or keep her out of her thoughts at least, she had a bad habit of overthinking. Lucy took her time getting ready, there was no rush and the faster she finished with the car, the sooner she'd be bored again. Who'd of thought that was her car would be the high light of her day? She really could not wait for school…

Dressing into a loose, white t-shirt and a pair of tiny, denim shorts, Lucy also tied her hair into two, low ponytails. Lucy then paused to look at her reflection in her body-length, closet mirror. The shorts where old, the seams tearing at the ends.They were pretty old, but Lucy had always liked the way they fitted her and so never through them away. The shirt she wore was old too, but in better condition than the shorts. Lucy pulled the ends of the shirt higher up her slim waist and knotted them together, turning the shirt into a makeshift tank top. More of her skin was now on display. Maybe she could multi task? Get a time while she cleaned her car.

Looking at her stomach in the mirror, Lucy took in the colour of her skin. She hadn't been that tan to begin with, but now her skin was more milky. Lucy sighed, before looking at her face, giving off a small huff. At least she wasn't snow-white. She just didn't think that she could pull it off as well as Lisanna.

Before going downstairs, Lucy gave a few poses just for fun and even sent a kiss to her own reflection. She giggled at her own silly antics.

Once downstairs, Lucy dug around in the kitchen, finding and grabbing a bucket and sponge, before heading outside. Her car was not far from the front of the house, a little to the side and Lucy skipped over to the dirty vehicle, placing the bucket down next to it. She then ran to the back of the house to fetch the hose, she'd seen her aunt use a few days ago. It was extra long, so Lucy didn't need to move her car closer. When she got back to her car, Lucy fiddled with the hose for a moment before switching the nozzle, clear water spraying out automatically. Lucy quickly filled up the bucket, before switching off the hose. She had thrown quite a bit of dishwasher into the bucket, not knowing what else to use. Hopefully, it would get the job done just the same as what the professionals used.

Lucy reached into the bucket and took out the soapy sponge. She'd never done this before. She could already imagine how her nanny and father would react if they saw her right now. The thought makes her giggle as she got to work.

Bubbles stick to her skin, creating shimmery rainbows on her arms as she soaks up the car. It was messier than she thought it would be and despite trying not to get herself wet, she eventually ended up with a soapy shirt – luckily not totally wet. The warm sun had a bit of sweat forming on her forehead and the contrast of her cold, damp clothes makes her shiver.

She'd been out for a bit now and the car was still mostly dirty. Lucy frowned in annoyance at the uncooperative car, before drowning the sponge back in the bucket again.

"This is gonna take forever," Lucy mumbled while soaking up the sponge. Still, it's better than sitting alone into boredom...she guesses. Pulling out the sponge, Lucy moves back to the car and reaches up to clean the roof, when –  _"Ah!"_

Forgetting about the hose laying on the ground, Lucy accidentally tangles her feet over it and trips, falling hard on her bottom, luckily just missing the car and avoiding knocking her head against it.

"Ow..." Lucy grimaces and brings her hands up together to wipe away the little stones and dirt that slung to them. Just her luck, of cause she was bound to hurt herself eventually. She should have known to wear some sort of armor. Lucy glares down at hose near her feet, as if it were it's fault. Now her butt was wet!

"You look like you could use some help."

Lucy jumps at the unexpected voice and looks up to see the person she didn't expect to see looking back down at her. Her other next door neighbor, Natsu Dragneel was standing only a couple feet away from her, his hands sluggishly in his pant's pockets as he watched her with no real expression.

How did he even get hear? Lucy hadn't even heard him walk over.

Lucy continued to stare up at the pink-haired man, not really knowing what to say. He wasn't smiling at her – or frowning. He wasn't shirtless this time, thank goodness. The pink-head was wearing baggy pants and a tight-fitting black shirt that barely covered his lower torso, his stomach muscles peeking out proudly. Lucy kept her eyes away from that spot. Natsu was just staring at her, still, Lucy was at least grateful that he wasn't glaring at her. She wasn't in the mood for a fight.

When the silence started to drag on and Natsu's eyebrow tilted up, Lucy forced herself to speak, asking the first thing that came to mind. "...Uh, what are you doing here?" Lucy squinted up at him and felt her guard start to go back up when he didn't reply straight away. She hadn't forgotten how he had threatened her a week ago to stay away from him and his sister. She had gotten over it in the most part, but she still felt irked by him for doing it. Nobody deserved to be treated that way. Looking at the man, Lucy wondered if he was here to threaten her again. He obviously knew that she hadn't listened to him and now that Lisanna had gone to town, it was a good opportunity to try and scare her off again.

"I live around here," Natsu eventually responded, his eyebrow tilting higher at the stupid question. He pointed in the direction of his house to clarify and Lucy found herself blushing.  _Right._  That was a dumb thing to ask.

Lucy cleared her throat awkwardly and pushed herself off the ground, wincing when she got back on her feet. One of her hands moved to rub at her sore lower back. Natsu's eyes lowered down to the action and Lucy flinched involuntarily when he did and felt annoyance for herself straight after. 'Get a grip Lucy, it's not like he's going to attack you.'

When she met his gaze again, he still wasn't glaring to her relief, but his expression was still off – almost odd. It went quiet again and Lucy felt her annoyance shift.

Clearing her throat again, the blonde knee-led down and picked up the dirty sponge, before dipping it back in the bucket and then moving back to the car. Without a word, Lucy went back to cleaning her car, her back now to the man. She kept her hands steady as she worked. She wanted to show him that she wasn't afraid of him, that he couldn't scare her off like he tried to do before.

For a while there was silence, just the sound of the sponge swavering over the room of her car. Birds could be heard chirping nearby, untroubled by the tense atmosphere around the two neighbors. Lucy was getting sick of it. She could still feel him watching her. He wasn't getting the hint to leave, but he was still not antagonizing her either. She wondered if he was deciding on what to say.

When another awkward minute flies by, Lucy gives in and speaks up. "If you're here to scare me off again, you should just leave now," Lucy said, still busy with her strokes. "It's not going to work."

A beat of silence, before a scoff.

"I know."

Lucy blinks at the statement, stopping her movements in surprise, before starting again. "Then why-"

"I saw you out here washing your car," she heard him say easily, before adding. "Am I not allowed to talk to my neighbor?"

Lucy stopped again to peek over her shoulder, a confused look in her eyes. Natsu was still watching her, but his eyes seemed to be trained on her hands. She watched as his jaw tightened. When his eyes met hers, she looked away again.

'Is he really going to pretend like nothing happened the other day?'

"So...do you want any help?" The question had Lucy freeze, not knowing what to do. What exactly was he trying to do?

Lucy decided to ask him. "What do you want, Natsu?" Her tone was careful, but not fearful. Lucy squeezed the sponge in her hand, choosing to instead glare down at the little bubbles of soap around it.

"Do you really want to know?"

Lucy shivered at the tone, not really knowing why. It didn't sound like a threat or warning. With a sigh, Lucy turned around to glare tiredly at the guy. He met it with an unblinking eyes. "I don't know. Do I?" Lucy's tone dared him to start an argument. If he really wanted to get into a fight with her, she wasn't about to let him walk all over her again.

He seemed to be taking in her answer and then, for the first time since that night, she sees a hint of a smile on his lips. Lucy's mouth opens in surprise, when that smile tilts into a smirk. And then he was walking towards her.

Lucy stiffens at the movement. "What are you-"

Instead of cornering her again like before, she watches as the pink-haired man stops short and then reached out to snatch the sponge that still lay on the car's roof. Lucy releases the breath she had been holding when he moved back to dunk it into the bucket again. Relief washes over her instantly.

When he stands up again, a soapy sponge in hand, Lucy eyes him in confusion, when his smirk grows wider. Natsu moves pass her and casually starts to wash the car, his arms moving in stronger, faster motions than her own had.

Lucy is stuck pathetically staring in bewilderment while the man, that had not so long ago threatened her, continued to clean her car...had she missed something?

"You really suck at this." Natsu's voice almost makes the blonde girl jump again, but she steels herself, instead choosing to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Car washing," Natsu explains, moving the sponge over the windscreen. "After watching you for the last fifteen minutes, I'm convinced that car washing should be and Olympic sport."

Lucy would have been insulted, but the fact that he had been watching her for  _fifteen minutes_  overpowered the emotion. A heated blush lights up her cheeks and Lucy's mouth falls open. "Y-you were watching me?  _Why?_ "

She watches as Natsu gives her a shrug, before he kneels down and scrubs a spot on the fender. "You know, you could always take the car to the car wash? Might be easier."

"There's actually a car wash here?" Lucy found herself asking out loud, her priorities shifted for a moment. 'They have a car wash, yet there's only one convenience store?'

"A little one," Natsu replied, bringing the blonde back to reality. "You need new tires too. Winter's crazy around here and these are almost bald."

"O-h...yeah. Thanks?" Lucy said. Was he actually trying to have a decent conversation with her? Why now? In the small amount of time that she had seen him, Natsu had made it obvious on how much he didn't like her. When Lucy had continued to hang out with Lisanna, Natsu had taken to avoiding her completely – which Lucy had preferred over his other behavior. Sometimes she would see him standing by his house or driving out. If they ever made eye contact, he would send her one of his trademark cold stares, before leaving her sight. What changed his mind now? "I'll uh...get right on that," Lucy voiced, still confused.

Natsu only nodded and continued to scrub. Lucy took that chance to lean against the cleaner, now drying side of the car, keeping her eyes downcast on the cleaning man. The car was still slightly wet, but by now Lucy didn't really care. Her clothes had already gotten damp.

"You know you still haven't answered my question," Lucy said carefully. "And I don't think you came over here just to help me with my car."

Once the fender was mud-free, Natsu chucked the sponge back into the bucket, before standing up. Lucy stayed where she was and watched him pick up the hose and turn back to the car. He gave her an expecting look and Lucy blinked in confusion, before understanding what he wanted and quickly moved out of the way.

Once she was standing behind him, Natsu pressed at the nuzzle and directed the spraying water to wash over the car. Lucy waited patiently in silence. She watched his face, trying to get a good read on him – what he was thinking, but he wasn't like Lisanna. His expression was neutral, nothing given away.

"So, I think I'm supposed to apologize," Natsu finally said, not turning to look back at the blonde who's eyebrows raised.

"You think?"

Natsu nods and actually spares her a glance. Lucy doesn't shy away from the blank look, her curiosity overpowered it.

"According to Lis, I needed to 'Get my ass over here and play nice.'" Lucy's mouth gaped slightly at that.

Natsu regarded the look of shock, taking it in, before turning away from her and moving to the other side of the car, spraying water there too. "She then went on and on about how I'm killing her chances of having a normal friend," Natsu continued, focusing more on the car than the confused girl.

"A normal friend?" Lucy echoed and Natsu ignored her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Natsu shrugged. "Someone to go to the mall with I guess."

Lucy folded her arms. "There is not mall around here, last time I checked."

"Then to do shopping with," Natsu corrected, his eyes finding hers for a split second, before leaving again. "To obsess over girl shit, maybe do her hair." His dark eyes went back to look at the blonde, a smirk appearing on his admittedly handsome face. "I'm guessing you fit that bill. Plain, white bread."

Lucy frowned at his choice of words. So that's how he saw here, huh? "And what's wrong with normal?"

Natsu's smirk tightens, before he turned back to the car. "We're not normal. Figured by now, you'd see that."

Lucy huffs, before daring to step closer to the car, careful to stay clear of where he directed the spray. "Maybe  _you're_  not, but Lisanna is totally normal."

Natsu surprises her with a laugh, the sound almost mocking. Lucy glared at him. "You're really naive, you know that?" Natsu chuckled, shaking his head as he moved the hose.

Biting back her rising annoyance, Lucy decides to change the subject. She remembers how he talked to Lisanna that other night, the things he said to her.

"Your apology," Lucy started, pausing until she head an answering grunt from the working man. "You didn't seem to care so much the other night – you know, with what Lisanna wants. So why the change of heart now?"

The pink-head didn't meet her questioning gaze, instead watching the water wash at the front tire. "What's that matter? You don't want an apology?"

Lucy's glare came back at the question. Why would she, when he gave it to her that way. "Well, it just sounds to me that you're only apologizing because Lisanna told you to." Her irritation was clear in her voice and Lucy was happy to see that he had picked up on it, because the man sighed.

Natsu turned off the hose, and turned to fully look at her.

"That's the most part, yeah."

'Thought so,' Lucy frowned, her eyes narrowing at him. She should have known not to expect anything better than that. Jerks don't just turn into nice guys over night after all.

"Actually, I don't have a choice."

Lucy didn't give much of a reaction to that, her arms folding over her chest as she stared him down. "Oh yeah? Funny, you don't seem like the kind of guy who does things he doesn't want to do."

Natsu smirked again. "Normally I'm I don't, but my sister took my keys this morning and until I 'play nice', I don't get them back."

The world was silence for a minute as Lucy eyed him, trying to see through his lies. When his expression didn't waver, something clicked and Lucy couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her lips. "She  _took_ your keys?" Another giggle escaped. "You're kidding, right?"

"It's not funny," Natsu glared, but this time it didn't scare Lucy in the slightest.

"Yeah, just freaking hilarious!" the blonde grinned back at him. She couldn't believe Lisanna would do something so childish! The promise the silver-haired girl had made her a week ago came back to Lucy as she stood there and her grin grew wider. Was this how Lisanna planned to 'fix this'? Well, she'd giver her one thing, it definitely made her laugh.

Natsu continued to give her a dirty look and Lucy tried to muffle her giggles for his benefit – just because she strived to be a decent person. But hey, pay back was payback.

When she calmed down, feeling much lighter now, Lucy tucked a loose strand of golden hair behind her hair. "I'm sorry about your keys Natsu, but I'm not going to accept you not-so-sincere apology. It doesn't mean anything if you're being forced to give it."

To her absolute surprise, Natsu actually pouted. It was actually pretty cute. "Not even after I just spent all that time washing your car?"

"You only helped for like ten minutes!" Screw the cute, puppy-dog look.

"Still did a better job than you did," Natsu said.

"Not helping with your apology," the blonde scoffed.

The pink-head sighed and ruffled up his hair in his frustration. Lucy felt no sympathy for him. When he looked back at her, there was almost an embarrassed look on his face.

"Look," Natsu frowned at her. "I still don't want you to hang out with Lis."

'Here we go,' Lucy crossed her arms.

"But…" he hesitated, seemingly trying to figure out what to day. "Maybe I shouldn't have treated you the way I did, I just..." He groaned then and Lucy felt herself soften despite her logical side. She knew him and his sister were close – they had to be with how Lisanna talked about him (when she wasn't apologizing for him, that is). Lucy couldn't understand their bond as she didn't have any siblings, but Lisanna had mentioned that he always worried about her. With whatever happened with their parents, it could just be that Natsu was protective over. Too protective, yes, maybe bordering on suffocating, but worry about her, he did.

Lucy shouldn't hate him for that small fact. Maybe if she opened up a bit and gave him a chance or showed him some kindness, he would do the same for her? They could make peace with each other. She didn't think that he'd be willing to be friends, but at least they wouldn't have to have these awkward meetings anymore.

Natsu was still struggling to find more words, when Lucy moved. His eyes snapped to watch her reach and pick up the half-filled bucket.

"Look," Lucy sighed as she struggled to carry the bucket. "I still don't really forgive you for threatening me or how you treat your sister." Natsu frowns. "But, I do appreciate the effort. Even if it was Lisanna that forced you over here, it was still brave. It just doesn't get you off the hook."

"Wait, so helping you wash your car did nothing?"

Lucy gave him a cheeky smile. "Oh, I wouldn't say  _nothing_. I mean, now I have a clean car and I didn't have to do it all by myself. I'd say that's something."

The man raised an eyebrow at that, before sighing in annoyance. "Well, damn. There goes that plan," he frowned. "How am I supposed to get my keys back now?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Are you always this warm and friendly?"

Natsu regarded her with a look Lucy didn't trust. "Always. Do you always stare at guys when you stop over to ask them for directions?"

The blonde's mouth gaped open is embarrassed surprise. The jab bring a furious blush over her cheeks. He really is bad at apologizing.

"Only when they're half naked!" she yelled at him. "Who opens a door like that?"

Natsu laughs at her red face and Lucy bites her tongue, wishing he would just shut up. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could get the hose and spray him.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it, kitten," the smirk was back full force now, making Lucy's blood boil, unfortunately for more than one reason.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lucy tried to say casually, but her voice came out to shaky.

Natsu took a step towards her. "Come on, I saw how you practically drooled over me for like twenty seconds," he chuckled. "And I told ya. You woke me up, remember? I'm not a morning person."

"Again, it wasn't that early," Lucy muttered, turning her gaze to the bucket in her hands.

"It's summer, I like to sleep in. Don't you sleep in during the summer?"

Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Obviously."

"So why weren't you?"

Lucy remembered that morning, how tired she had been. She hadn't slept much that night, pretty much like most of the nights she'd had so far. When she had finally dozed off, the wind had woken her up not long after again and she had decided to give up. Lately she'd been able to sleep in more, but not by much. Honestly, she relied a lot on her daytime naps, but she wasn't about to tell Natsu all that.

"Unlike some people, I actually have things to do."

Natsu huffed at her, a tiny, almost invisible smile playing at his lips. "You sound like my sister. No wonder she likes you so much." His tone suggested that he didn't like that fact so much.

Lucy smiled anyway. "She has taste."

Natsu rolled his eyes, before another moment passes with neither person speaking. Lucy wonders why he hasn't left yet. He sort of did what he wanted to do already. Was he hopping to get her to change her mind on the apology.

Fat chance. Good person or not, Lucy was still angry with him. Nobody deserved to be treated the way he treated her – no matter what the reasoning. She had to make him understand that she wasn't a pushover and that she really did not appreciate his behavior. If she didn't make him see and understand that, they'd never be able to move on.

"Anything else?" the blonde asked, her hands tightening on the bucket handle with the struggle of keeping it up.

She watched as Natsu purses his lips and Lucy wonders if he's starting to feel awkward. Good.

Eventually he shakes his head and then gives her a long, thoughtful look. Lucy instantly feels the blush return and struggles with the urge to hide her face. When he speaks again, his voice is more thoughtful than taunting.

"Just wanted to see what all the fuss is about. Lis has really taken a liking to you," he tilts his head as he regards her. Lucy stiffens under the look. "But I can't tell if it's because you're new and shiny or if you're genuinely interesting."

Lucy's body relaxed, a frown on her lips. He really needs to work on their people skills. Closing her eyes in a calming attempt, Lucy releases a sigh. She mentally told herself to let it go. He was just a moody – arrogant teenager. She shouldn't let anything he says get to her. Lucy kept repeating that last thought to herself. When she opened her eyes again, she felt her heart skip a beat at what she saw.

Natsu was suddenly standing right in front of her, so close that if she were to reach up just a little, they'd be touching. The blonde bit down on the " _eep"_  that threatened to escape her mouth and stepped backwards to get some distance between them.

'How does he keep moving so fast!?'

"My little sis does seem to like you," Natsu said, unnerved by her reaction and Lucy stared wide-eyed at the pink-haired man. "Usually she doesn't fight with me over these things."

'These things? Like having friends?'

Lucy forced her body to straighten, trying to seem taller and less intimidated. "Maybe she's just getting tired of your bad attitude." Natsu smirks.

"Maybe, but some might say that it's what makes me charming."

"I think you need to stop hanging out with those people," Lucy retorted. It only made him smirk wider, before he takes another step towards her. Lucy takes a step backwards.

"Look, Lis hid my keys. I've torn the house apart looking for them, but nothing," he said. "She's always been great at hiding stuff. I just need you to tell Lis that I made an effort here when she gets back."

"Why don't you just make her tell you?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows furrowing. It didn't sound that difficult. "I don't think she'd keep them too long anyway."

Natsu frowned as he listened to her reasoning. "I would, if she were here, but she'd left town for a couple of days."

That got Lucy's attention. "Wait, what? She didn't tell me she was leaving."

Natsu's stare was blank as he responded. "It was a sudden thing, not that that it concerns you."

"You know for someone who needs my help, you're not very good at playing nice."

An exasperated look washed over the pink-head. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Lucy stared at him for a whole minute with an 'are-you-seriously-asking-me-that' expression. When he didn't seem to get, the blonde gave up and walked passed him, carrying the bucket with her. She felt him watching her back as she did, but it was only once she got to her front door that she actually turned back to him. "Not." The blonde then turned back to open the door. "You're gonna have to work a lot harder to gain my forgiveness."

"You can't be serious," she heard him say.

She just walked into the house.

* * *

It was almost three-thirty when Lucy heard someone knocking rather enthusiastically at the front door.

She ignored the sound at first, not in the mood for whoever was likely at the door. With Lisanna gone out of town, it could only be the other neighbor and Lucy wasn't in the mood to have another long, unpleasant conversation with the guy.

Instead, Lucy focused on the task at hand. She was sitting on the edge of the bath tub. Steaming water slowly started to fill it up and Lucy watched the bubble bath she had thrown in start to foam up the water. With nothing else left to do, Lucy had decided to draw herself a relaxing bath. The cherry smell that came with the bubble bath filled the room and Lucy sighed contently. She needed this.

Her peaceful state only lasted for another few seconds, however, when the knocking returned. This time with more urgency.

Figuring that Natsu was not the type of guy to give up without a fight, Lucy decided to get it over with. The prospect of bathing while listening to that consistent, irritating noise was not something she wanted to go through.

Turning off the taps, Lucy jogged down the stairs to the front door, her temper only rising the longer the knocks when on. Lucy opened the door and grumpily acknowledged the person she knew would be standing outside.

"What is it this time, Natsu?"

As expected, it was her male neighbor who had been knocking at the door. One hand was still outstretched to continue when she had opened the door. Dark eyes traveled down from her face to trail over her body, making Lucy shiver. Why did it always feel like he was sizing her up?

When his eyes found hers again, he raised an eyebrow. "And you criticized  _me_  on how I greeted you at the door?"

"Huh?" Lucy blinked at him, before looking down at herself, a blush rising automatically in realization. She had dressed into a fluffy, pink gown earlier and had completely forgot about it when answering the door. There was nothing scandalize about the garment, but the idea of Natsu seeing her in something like that had her heart pounding. Why did she always get herself into embarrassing situations?

"Nice. Very classy," Natsu smirked when she kept staring in shock at her own attire. Her head shot up to glare at him when he did.

"Like you can talk!" Lucy self-consciously tried to pull the gown tighter around her. "At least I'm covered up."

The laugh he gave off only made her glare harder. "Yeah, totally different, kitten."

"What. Do. You. Want. Natsu?" Lucy fumed, her eyebrow twitching.

Eyeing her twitch with an amused smirk, Natsu moved to rest his arm against the door frame, leaning closer into the girl's pace to look down at her. Lucy almost shrinks away at the movement. Natsu almost towered over her and with how he standing over her, she had to crane her neck back to keep staring at his face and not – other places.

She swallowed nervously, something the man noticed and to her irritation, had him smirking wider.

"You and I have plans."

"Why would I have plans with you?" Lucy was relieved when her voice came out calm. "You don't even like me."

"You don't need to like someone to hang out with them," Natsu said. His eyes almost trapped Lucy's to his and she found herself sighing in defeat.

"What plans?"

"Go swimming with me."

Lucy blinked and said nothing, thinking that she must have heard him wrong. His expression didn't change though and it only made Lucy more confused. "Excuse me?"

Natsu nodded, as if it were obvious. "Swimming. You know? The act of moving around in the water?"

"I know what swimming is, Natsu!" Lucy's temper spiked again. Man, if there was a meddle for the most times a guy had her blood boiling, he would win it. "I mean, why would I go swimming with you?"

Natsu finally leaned back, instead casually leaning his whole body against the frame now. Lucy was able to breath properly again. "I still need to get my keys back. Think of this as an apology."

She should have figured it had something to do with that. Lucy rubbed her forehead, a headache starting. "How does swimming with you mean the same thing as an apology."

"Lis will see it as an effort on my part."

"I meant for  _me."_

"Use your imagination."

Lucy groans, not at all in the mood for this. One minute this guy was threatening her life, the next he was inviting her to go swimming with him to get his keys back? She couldn't deal with this right now. "No."

The pink-head blinked. "No?"

Lucy nodded. "That's right. No. You don't get to just have your way when you treat me like a piece of bad fruit."

"A...piece of bad fruit?" Natsu slowly repeated, his eyebrow raising.

"Forget it – bad comparison," Lucy waved off. "Anyway. I'm busy."

Natsu scoffed at that. "Oh yeah? Doing what?"

Lucy glared harder. "Not of your business. Goodbye!" She goes to close the door, all intent on slamming it in his face, when his strong hand suddenly blocks it, keeping it wide open.

"Natsu!"

"Go swimming with me."

Lucy struggled harder with the door. "No, get off my porch!"

"I'm not leaving until you agree."

When her struggles made no difference, Lucy gives up, her hands tightening into fists as she glares at the expressionless boy. "Fine," she breathes and Natsu's brow raises. "Stay if you want, but I'm not staying here with you."

A smirk stretches over his coy face. "Oh, I'll be sure to have lots of fun, kitten."

Lucy huffs at his immaturity and turns to leave. She doesn't get very far though, when Natsu suddenly gabs her ankle.

"Ah!" Lucy cries and struggles to stay up, her hands gripping the door for balance as she hops on one leg.

"I'll stay here all day and night," Natsu's voice informed. "I'll just camp out here on your porch. We have all week, kitten. Get it over with tomorrow and be done with me. Trust me, I won't bother you again. Don't and I'll be right here until you agree."

"What is it with you and always threatening me!?" Lucy couldn't believe that this was really happening. Of all the things she'd expected to happen today, this was not on the list.

"I wouldn't have to if you had stayed away from Lisanna. Now she's ignoring me like  _I'm_  the bad guy."

"Gee, I wonder where she got that idea," Lucy sarcastically replied as she pulled at the door, before sighing. "Look, why don't you just lie to Lisanna? It's not like she's here to see otherwise?"

She heard Natsu laugh behind her. "And you'd go along with it she calls you?"

"I try not to talk about you when we're together, always put's me in a bad mood," the blonde hissed.

Natsu rolled his eyes and continued to talk like this situation wasn't weird at all. "It wouldn't work anyway. She knows when I'm lying." He suddenly paused, before speaking again, his voice taking on a deeper, huskier tone. "You know if you're too shy to go swimming with me, you can just say so."

Lucy hated the arrogance in his voice, no matter how husky he sounded.

"I'm from Florida you idiot. I spent a bit of time in a swim suit."

"So what's the problem?"

Instead of answering, Lucy pulls her ankle hard, trying to break free of his strong grasp, but his grip remains firm. She tries not to think about how large and warm it is against her own skin. 'Don't go there Lucy, not for this jerk.'

"Come on Lucy, it'll be fun. I promise to play nice, just give me a –"

Before he continues, a voice from behind them had them both freeze,

"What's going on here?"

Natsu and Lucy turn to see Aquarius standing in her nurses uniform, her handbag slung over her right shoulder as she stared back at them with a curious expression.

Lucy knew her face was red even before she felt the flushing heat, knowing how weird they must look standing the way they were. She kicks her leg again and this time, Natsu lets her go, almost like an after thought.

When she's standing up again, Lucy lets go of the door and moves to stand beside the silent Natsu, a nervous smile on her face. "Aqua, Y-you're home so early." She grimaced at her own stutter, telling herself to get a grip. They weren't doing anything bad. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, nothing at all.

Her aunt's eyes shift from her to Natsu, before landing back on her. "I got off early," she says with a still, curious stare. "That Virgo finally showed up for work today, so they let me go…am I interrupting something?"

Lucy was quick to answer. "N-no, um. Natsu and I were just talking. He was actually just leaving." She saw Natsu's jaw clench unhappily in the corner of her eye.

Aqua's eyes widened at the explanation. "I didn't know that the two of you were friends. You never said anything."

Natsu opens his mouth to speak, but Lucy beats him to it. "That's right, friends, but he was leaving so..." She turns to look expectingly at the pink-head. Natsu looks slightly taken back at her words, eyeing the wobbly grin on her face weirdly. Then he smiles.

"Actually, I was going to ask her to go swimming with me tomorrow."

Lucy suddenly wants to strangle him.

"Swimming?" Aquarius repeats, her attention back on Natsu, while Lucy almost glares at the boy's grinning face, only barely managing to hold her tight grin in place.

"Yeah, but I don't think I should, just getting over a cold and all," Lucy says back, an edge to her voice.

"I think it's a good idea," Aquarius says and Lucy's feels herself deflate, before looking shocked at her aunt.

"What?"

Aqua shrugs. "You're cold was a couple of days ago, I think you'll be fine and it'll get you out of the house a bit."

Lucy felt betrayed. Couldn't her aunt tell that she did not want to go? "But-"

"She'd love to," Aqua turned to Natsu, completely ignoring the pleading look she got from her niece.

"Aqua!"

She was ignored again. "Nice to see you again, Natsu. Say hi to your sister for me, I never get the chance anymore."

Natsu gives the women a tight smile, before nodding. Lucy's mouth is agape with pure horror when Aquarius walks passed her to enter the house. The women doesn't even spare her a second glance as she walks through the door. When the two are alone again, Lucy feels her temper spike and turns to glare at the boy.

"You are suck a jerk!"

Natsu's rolled his eyes at the girl, a short laugh leaving his lips, before walking down the two steps and then turned back to look at her with a pleased look.

"So I'll see you tomorrow at noon, kitten?"

Lucy could only look back at him for a long moment as she tried to calm herself. 'What just happened?' The blonde breathed out an irritated sigh, a defeated feeling washing over her. "Fine," Lucy calmly stated.

"Fine?" Natsu's hands moved to rest on his hips. "That's all you got to say?"

"Yes, I'll go swimming with you," Lucy glared. Natsu smirked. "But I'll do it for Lisanna, because she's my friend,  _not_  for you."

Natsu's eyes hardened again at the words. Lucy steeled herself in preparation for whatever he was going to throw back at her, but the pink-haired man turned away from her.

"Have it your way," he snickered and walked away.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Next chapter will be out sometime next week. Keep an eye out!**

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Natsu go swimming!

The first cracks of sunlight shined through the thin material of Lucy's curtains, brightening up her room into a light pink colour. It was oddly quiet this morning, like the world was still asleep. Lucy couldn't even hear the birds chirping or the usual howl of the wind.

The blonde teenager rolls onto her side, still half asleep. Lucy let out a tiny sigh as she kept her eyes closed. She knew that if she got out of her warm, comforting bed that the peaceful feeling would end. The world could wait a bit longer…

_BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

Lucy's eyes clench tightly in remorse at the unwelcome sound. Her phone continued to beep however, and the tired girl eventual gave in, pushing herself up onto her elbows. Lucy yawned as she did, before reaching over for her phone.

It was her father again. He probably just wanted to know how she was doing or something along the lines. It didn't matter what it was about, their talks always ended awkwardly. She didn't answer it. She had talked with him a few days ago too and it was always the same. She'd just call him back later...or text him.

The beeping finally stopped, the caller screen disappearing on her phone. Lucy sighed at the missed call notification. Guilt starting to rise in her chest, but she pushed it down just as soon as it came. They both just needed some time.

The blonde peered at the time on her phone. It was almost five past eight. Later than she normally slept in, at least while she had been staying here. She did feel great though, maybe she should try and do this more often – at least while it was still holiday.

The prospect of more sleep was thrown away when Lucy remembered what she was going to do today. She had to go swimming with the most obnoxious person she'd ever met – Natsu Dragneel.

She had sulked about it all of last night, which her aunt chose to ignore of cause, considering it was her who had gotten Lucy into the whole mess. There was still the option of calling the whole thing off, the idea becoming more appealing the longer the blonde lay in bed. She loved swimming, beaches were probably what she missed most about Florida, even if she only rarely got to go to them, but the fact that she was going with Natsu took all possible excitement away from her. Instead, all she was was anxious.

Natsu hated her! What would they even talk about? Would they spend their time glaring at each other in the water? Yep, today was going to be so much fun.

Lucy had been keen on backing out on the trip last night, fully prepared to cancel, but she'd basically taken up a challenge from the pink-haired guy and Lucy Heartfilia was no quitter! Besides, she was doing this for Lisanna too. She'd use that as her base strength today.

When there was no point in stalling anymore, Lucy forces her lazy body out of the warm sanctuary of her bed and staggers over to her closet.

She wasn't sure if there even was a beach around here, but she assumed there must be if Natsu suggested swimming. She highly doubted there was a public pool.

Digging into the small wardrobe, searched through the few swimwear items she'd bothered to bring with her. Good thing she liked to be prepared, huh?

She didn't have to decide which costume she'd wear, Lucy's hand automatically fished out her usual choice. The item was one of her favorites: A white and baby blue stripped bikini. It showed off her feminine curves perfectly, without coming off as flimsy (That was always important).

Holding the pieces of clothing in one hand, Lucy then moved to pull out a pale orange, backless sundress. She'd only bought the pretty summer dress a few months ago, before her father informed her of his decision to move her away. She'd never gotten the chance to wear it to the beach, now would be as good a chance as any.

After a quick shower, making sure as to not get her hair wet, Lucy returned to her room to finish getting ready.

The blonde quickly dried herself and then slipped into her bikini, making sure to double tie the strings of the bikini top, before throwing on the sundress too.

The light material fell down her body, the hem of it reaching a few centimeters above her knees. Lucy checked herself over in the mirror, feeling satisfied with how she looked. She'd skip the makeup again today. If she swam, it would just rinse off or smudge anyway. She didn't want to give Natsu anything he could use to make fun of her.

After brushing her hair out, choosing to leave it free, Lucy begrudgingly went downstairs. The house was still very quiet, so she was surprised when she found her aunt reading at the kitchen table, a coffee mug in her hand.

The older women looks up to greet Lucy when she enters the kitchen, an amused smile growing on the older women's face.

"Someone slept in. Did you sleep well last night?"

It really wasn't that late, but considering the usual time Lucy got up, she knew it was a bit out of the ordinary.

Lucy smiled at her sitting aunt, walking to stand near the edge of the table. "Well, I could always use more sleep." As if to prove her own point, Lucy lets out a tiny yarn, which she is quick to cover with her hand. She laughs at herself afterwards. "Heh, guess I need more than I know."

Aquarius's smile falters at the that, before turning into a concerned frown. Lucy could figure out why. It was not secret of how bad Lucy's sleeping habits were. Even though she rose up early every morning, she still struggled to actually get to sleep in the first place. Her aunt had noticed it the first few nights she'd come here, but Lucy had managed to play it off as her just adjusting to her new home. It was true, but the real issue was just that Lucy found it difficult to get to sleep when the house seemed so creepy during the night.

It wasn't a serious issue, Lucy knew she just had to buck up and get through it. Unfortunately when you're an easily, freaked out teenager like she was, these things took longer to get over.

Before her aunt could make a thing of it again, Lucy quickly to change the subject.

"So," Lucy said, giving her aunt a once over. "You're not in your nurse's outfit. Are you finally off today?"

It seemed to work in distracting her aunt, because the blue-haired women rolls her eyes. "I'm on call," she corrected, her tone obviously annoyed at the fact. "They said that I might have to come in later today, but like hell I was going to show up this morning too."

Lucy smiled sympathetically as her aunt took an aggressive sip of her coffee.

"If they think they'll be seeing me anytime before 10, they're insane," Aqua hissed, more to herself than to her niece. Lucy only giggles at the words before shuffling over to the sink and begins to wash the few dishes found there.

The soapy water in the sink is warm against Lucy's fingers as she scrubs at a small plate. Her eyes distractingly peer out of the window in front of her and her vision is quickly met with the sight of the pretty, garden outside. It looks warm outside, a good start to the day, she thinks. Hopefully she can at least enjoy the sunshine today without getting into some sort of argument with her neighbor.

She still didn't understand why he wanted them to go swimming. Why that activity in particular? What about having tea together? Having tea would surely have done the trick and it would be shorter if they golfed it down!

"Is something wrong, Lucy?"

Her aunt's smooth voice brings the teenager out of her thoughts and Lucy peeks over her shoulder to see the women eyeing her worriedly.

She'd noticed her aunt giving her that look a few more times then she'd liked over the past week. It wasn't something she enjoyed seeing, but she didn't know how to make her see that she was fine.

"Yeah, totally fine," the blonde answered and finished up with the dishes. She then grabs a cloth to dry her hands, before moving over to the toaster, plopping two slices of bread in it.

When she turns to look back at her aunt again, the worried expression on the women's face is still there. Lucy blinks once.

"What?"

Aquarius's sharp eyes landed back on her book only for a second, before closing and disgaurding it on the table. She then looked back at the still-standing blonde, the uneasy expression changing to a thoughtful one.

"Nothing," Aqua says with a shrug. "I'm just wondering if you might be planning on committing suicide or take up drugs any time soon."

The casual tone she uses while saying that has Lucy gape. It's only when she spots the tiny upward tilt of her aunt's lips that she relaxes. "That was  _so_  not funny!"

"That's not a no then?"

Lucy huffs out a laugh, rolling her eyes at her aunt. "Aqua, I'm fine. I promise."

Aquarius raises a perfect blue eyebrow at her and continues to stare for a minute, before eventually going back to her coffee.

"Fine. I trust you."

Lucy sighs internally, because she can tell that despite her words, her aunt isn't 100% convinced. The  _ **pop**_  of the toaster offers a short distraction and Lucy gratefully turns to retrieve a plate for them.

"Listen, Lucy," Aqua's voice comes again, this time more serious. "If you're nervous about hanging out with that Natsu boy, you don't have to go."

The unexpected sentence has Lucy turn to look at her aunt again, confused. She sees Aqua return the stare, coffee forgotten and her arms folded over her chest.

"But..." Lucy frowns. "I thought you wanted me to go? That's why yesterday you-"

The blue-haired women waved her off, silencing her. "I was just excited for you to have new friends. I didn't mean to pressure you into hanging out with him...even if I sort of did anyway."

Lucy blinked in surprise, understanding coming over her. Was this why Aqua seemed so stressed out this morning? She just felt bad about meddling in her nieces business?

The thought touched Lucy, despite her aunt being one of the main reasons why she'd be spending the day with her more than unpleasant neighbor. She knew that Aquarius was worried that she wouldn't adjust to her new home – Lucy had given her plenty of reason to think that way. Honestly, such a drastic change would be hard for anyone to adjust to and having a good group of friends was a good way of fitting in.

She was happy that her aunt cared that much.

"Don't worry about it," Lucy smiled reassuringly. "Besides the weather's great today. It'd be a crime not to spend it in the water."

Aquarius hummed at her answer. "I mean it. You don't have to go if you don't want to. You didn't seem all that enthusiastic when he asked you yesterday."

'Guess my acting needs some work,' Lucy grimaced. "Natsu and I...we just got off on the wrong foot. So uh, it's a little weird to hang out with him, you know?"

Her aunt frowned then. "I though you said you two were friends?"

Lucy bit her lip at the slip up, thinking what to say. Her and Natsu were the furthest things from friends, but she didn't need her aunt knowing that. She hadn't even told her about how the man had practically threatened her and for good reason! If Aquarius knew about it, she's probably go over there and give Natsu a piece of her mind.

Now matter how appealing the idea of her aunt telling Natsu Dragneel what's what, she didn't need the drama, plus she didn't need someone fighting her battles for her. She could handle Natsu by herself.

"We are, we just tend to um...bicker sometimes I guess," Lucy tried to play her voice off as casual, but her aunt still gave her an unsure look. "But it's cool!" the blonde added. "I promise that we're not going to try and drown each other today."

Aquarius still seemed skeptical, her next words were slow. "I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you."

Lucy shook her head. "Water under the bridge, Aqua. It's fine and I already agreed anyway. It'd be rude to cancel now."

Her aunt nods at this, her face thoughtful. "Is his sister, Lisanna, going too? I know you two girls have been hanging out a lot lately."

Lucy walks to the fridge to get the butter.

"At least you won't have to be there by yourself with him."

"Actually," Lucy smears some butter over on slice of toast. "Lisanna's gone away for a couple of days." She brings up the slice and takes a bite, before turning back to her aunt. "I'm not sure where though. I texted her last night, but she never replied," she says after swallowing.

"I'm not surprised. I've noticed the two of them leave for a few days every once in a while. She's probably gone to family or something. I wonder why her brother didn't go with her? It's not like they get a lot of visitors to keep them company around here..."

Lucy suddenly remembers the women from the store, the day she first met Lisanna. She remembers how the women warned her to stay away from the siblings. She wondered if her aunt knew anything about it – why some people treated their neighbors that way. Aquarius had never given any indication that she didn't like them, she'd practically nudged Lucy to hang out with one of them today.

When it came to the rest of the town, Lucy had noticed how on the odd occation she and Lisanna went to the stores, how some people would stare at them. Nobody had come up to her again with a warning like that first lady, but the stare were strange enough.

They had only gone to town another two times after becoming friends and Lucy had yet to officially meet anyone else. She wondered if everyone held a similar opinion for the Dragneel family?

There was no harm in asking her aunt, right?

"Aqua?" Lucy voiced, picking at the bitten slice of toast in her hand. When she received a hummed answer, the blonde pulled up a chair to sit next to her aunt.

"What is it?"

"Um...a couple of days ago, a women in town said something weird to me."

Aquarius's brow raised. Lucy continued.

"I'm not worried about it or anything," she said quickly to make her point. "It's just that I was curious and I was wondering if maybe you knew what it was about?"

"What did she say?"

"Not much, but she did sort of warn me to stay away from Lisanna." Her aunt huffs in understanding.

"Oh that."

Lucy bites her lip as she watches her aunt's face for any signs, but finds nothing. "So? You know what I'm talking about then?"

Aquarius laughs at that, but no humor lays there. "It's a small town, sweetie. It'd be hard not to. Listen, you don't need to worry about that rubbish. The people here are just bored to death and nothing better to do than to whisper behind your back."

Lucy nodded. "What kind of stories?"

"Just stupid rumors. I wouldn't listen to them."

Lucy smiled almost in relief. "So...you don't believe them."

Aqua stands then and sets her cup in the sink. "Would I be letting you go swimming with one of them if I did?"

Lucy nodded again, a smile still on her face and she takes another bite of her toast. She watches her aunt quickly clean the cup and place it on the drying mat before turning her attention back to her.

"Look, Lucy. Don't worry about that, I don't. I usually just try to block them out. These people find any excuse to gossip, besides, if there was anything weird going on with those kids, I think I would have seen it by now."

"Yeah...I was guess I was just curious," the blonde said softly. She figured her aunt would know better, she lived right next door to them after all...

"So then," Aqua wipes her hands with the cloth. "Back to our earlier topic.  _Are_  you nervous?"

Lucy deflates a bit at the reminder of what was awaiting her today. She breaths slowly and looks at her aunt. Aqua was the type of women who took no bull from anyone, maybe she could give her some advice on how to handle Natsu. It was worth a shot at least. What did she have to lose?

"Honestly, I'm just a bit nervous about making new friends."

Her aunt gave her a knowing look. "Friends? Or boyfriends?"

Lucy's face flushed red in an instant. "Aqua!" The blue-head only chuckles at the blush. "I'm serious!" Lucy pouts through her blush. "Making new friends is hard when you're the new girl – especially if you're in such a small town. I mean I made friends with Lisanna, but Natsu seems so cold and mean sometimes."

"I know, I'm just teasing," Aquarius smiles. "But you'll be fine. Natsu has always been a bit ruff around the edges. I don't really ever get the chance to speak with him much, but him and his sister have had a hard time. I mean them having to live with no parents and with how the town treats them….it just takes time."

Lucy hummed, leaning her head on her hand. "Yeah, I head something about that from Lisanna – that they're parents live out of town. I think Natsu's lonely. I know Lisanna is, he could be in the same boat." Lucy then leans back in the chair and looks up at the ceiling. "it doesn't excuse being mean though."

"Well, one swimming session couldn't hurt," she heard her aunt say. "And who knows? You might come to understand each other a little better too."

Lucy shifted her head to look at her aunt. "Yeah?"

Aqua nodded. "Hmhm...but if he gives you anymore trouble, kick him in the family jewels."

Lucy blinks in surprise, before letting out a small laugh. "Sure. I'll try to remember that."

Her aunt smiles at her, before yawning and glancing up at the stairs.

"Well anyway," the older women drawls and Lucy sits up straighter in the chair. "I really do think that getting out will do you some good. Try and have some fun, okay? I'm going up for a nap before I'm forced to go back to work."

Lucy's smile is a bit strained, but she keeps it for her aunt's sake as she watches Aqua head upstairs. What she'd give to follow her lead. When she can't see her anymore, the blonde sneaks a peek up at the clock.

'It's 9:12,' Lucy thinks, staring up at the wall clock. 'Natsu will be here soo-'

Before she can even finish her thought, Lucy hears a familiar banging on the front door.

"I wonder who that could be..." Lucy sighs, before lifting herself off the chair and slowly heading towards the door.

When she opens the door with little motivation, she predictably sees Natsu on the other side with a towel causally draped over his shoulder. He's wearing a loose fitting, short-sleeved black T and knee-length shorts. Lucy orders her eyes not to peek over at the his tones arm muscles.

There will be no fawning over rude neighbors today.

Lucy keeps her voice casual when she speaks, her neck tilting backwards slightly to look him in the eyes.

"You're here early. I didn't expect you until later."

That cocky smirk of his returns as he stares back down at her, before moving to lean against the doorjamb. "I might have been bored," the pink-head answered and Lucy hates how good his voice sounds in the morning. So husky and low.

"Oh really?"

Natsu shrugs at her suspicous tone. "I also figured that the earlier we leave, the sooner we can get this over with. I  _do_  have other things to do today, kitten."

'And he thinks I have the attitude problem?' Lucy crosses her arms and glares up at him. "Charming as ever I see," her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Natsu huffed amusingly, before nodding. "I managed to get some good sleep. At least this time there wasn't any preppy girl knocking on my door. You won't believe how annoying they can be."

The blonde's eyebrow twitched at the comment. Once again, she felt the need to get this day over and done with. Maybe Natsu was onto something with this  _go early idea_ , after all. Better to get it over with fast, like a band aid.

'A really, really annoying band aid,' Lucy bitterly thought, before sighing out her frustrarions.

"If we're really doing this, then lets go already." The less time she had to spend with this jerk the better.

The pink haired man chuckles as he nods. "You're right. I would like to have my freedom back."

Lucy rolled her eyes, before turning back into the house. "Just let me get my stuff and we'll go." She doesn't hear Natsu's remark as she jogs off to retrieve her sandals and a towel.

Before leaving, Lucy yells out a goodbye up at the stairs, hoping her aunt managed to hear her.

She spies herself in the hallway's mirror and flashes herself a supportive nod and grin. 'This won't be longer than an hour, I can do this,' she told herself. 'Stay positive!'

When she goes to the door again, she notices that Natsu isn't leaning against the door anymore. She finds him instead staring up at the sky, his back to her.

"Okay, I'm all set," the girl notifies and Natsu gives her a bored glance over his shoulder. Lucy choices very maturely to ignore it. It was no secret that neither one of them was exactly looking forward to this little outing. "So where are we going anyway?" Lucy asks as she moves to stand next to him.

Natsu's eyes bare down at her for an extra second too long, before he starts walking ahead. "It's a surprise."

Lucy watches him with a skeptical look, before catching up to him.

"A surprise, huh?" she hums, before smiling teasingly up at him. "Are you planning on murdering me?"

Natsu smirked down at her then. "Nope! Can't get my keys back if you're dead."

"Remind me not to go anywhere with you once you get them back then."

Natsu huffs and shakes his head as the two continue to walk in the direction of his house. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

They walk the rest of the way in silence and Lucy pauses when they reach Natsu's red bakkie, but furrows her brows when he keeps walking.

"Um..." Lucy drawls and the pink-haired man stops to look back at her. "We're not driving?"

A myschievous look grows on Natsu face and he jerks his head slightly in the direction of the woods behind them. "I'm taking you somewhere special, kitten. A place that not even the locals know about."

Lucy gives him a look, her suspicions rising. "Someplace special? Now I  _know_  you're going to kill me."

"I thought people from Florida were more trusting?"

"Why would you take me somewhere special?" Lucy sighs, already thinking about going back to her house. "Don't you hate me?"

She saw him roll his eyes, obviously getting irritated that they weren't getting a move on. Lucy felt no sympathy.

"I might hate you, but my sister doesn't," he said like it explained everything.

"So?"

"I'm taking you to this place, because Lis thinks you're special," Natsu breathed, then looked at her thoughtfully. "As for what I think of you, well..."

"Don't answer that," Lucy ordered. "I think I can figure the rest out."

Her neighbor nods, an unreadable look glossing over his eyes, but it's gone before she can read too much into it. "Come on, lets go." Before Lucy can ask where to though, Natsu suddenly takes off into a run, disappearing into the woods that surrounds their houses.

The blonde lets out a frustrated sigh, before hurriedly putting on her sandels. "Natsu Dragneel, what a mysterious weirdo."

She runs to catch up with him.

* * *

The two walk in silence as the sunshine filters through the forest. It's a calming silence, broken only by the numerous chirping of the birds and the rustling of the falling leaves.

They've been walking for quite a while now and Lucy was starting to wonder how much further they still had to go. This was her first time really walking through these woods, so the blonde had no clue where they were or where they were going. As a kid her parents had let her go between the trees to play, but she'd never been allowed to stray too far, so this was a whole new experience for her.

"How you doing back there, kitten?"

Lucy tears her eyes away from the trail they were walking and looked up to stare at her guide's back. "I don't know about this  _kitten_  person, but I'm just fine."

She watches his shoulders lift as he chuckles softly, before lowering her eyes back to the ground to keep herself from tripping over anything. She'd had luck so far.

"What about you?" Lucy then asks destractively. "You okay?"

"Don't worry about me. I've done this trek a million times," Natsu's still amused voice answers.

Lucy doesn't say anything back, choosing to instead mirror the way Natsu easily makes his way around the thick brush of vines that table together. 'He makes this look so easy. Meanwhile, I'm almost tripping over roots and stones.'

"Hey, watch out."

Lucy looks up again to see Natsu gesturing to a small cliff where a fallen tree forms a sort of makeshift slide downwards. Lucy stops when the near it and watches as Natsu goes to stand closer.

"The tree's a bit rotten. You don't want to be climbing that and getting hurt."

Lucy moves to stand next to him, her eyes examining the sloppy bridge. "Isn't there another way down?" She eyes the dip down with a frown. It's not too far that you'd die from jumping down, maybe her bodies length in total, but she still wasn't very keen on jumping.

Natsu moved closer to the edge, a hand reaching down to pat the sloped tree. "Nope, this is it. Unless you'd like to jump down?"

"No thanks," Lucy said, giving a sheepish grin as she watched Natsu do exactly that. The pink-head landed expertly on his feet, before turning and those dark, intense eyes stared back up at her.

"Here, let me help you." Natsu extends his hand up towards her.

Lucy stares at it in surprise, not really knowing what to do, before meeting his eyes again.

"What are you planning?" Her voice bordering more on corsious that curious.

Natsu continues to stare up at her patiently, an eyebrow raising at her question. "Helping you climb down, unless you want to meet your ass." There was a defensive undertone to his voice and Lucy realized that he was actually trying to help her.

"Natsu..." Lucy smiled teasingly at the man, who in turn gave her a warning look.

"Don't," he said, catching at the playful tone in Lucy's voice.

Lucy doesn't falter at that, her smile still in place as she shifts her eyes back to his outstretched hand and then back to his face.

"Right, I forgot that you're not exactly one for 'please' and 'thank you'."

The pinkette rolls his eyes, his fingers jerking in his impatience. "I just don't see the point in it if this whole experience is fake."

"Aren't you a sinic."

"I'm a realist," he corrected, before stretching his fingers again. "Are you coming down or what?"

Lucy accepted the hand this time, figuring if Natsu was cruel enough to make her trip, she'd at least have the chance to push him down too.

Natsu's hand was warm, even warmer than her own one. The memory of his hand around her ankle runs through her brain, before she pushes it away. She was doing this for Lisanna, full stop.

With hesitant and careful steps, Lucy slowly makes her way down the fallen tree trunk as Natsu helps guides her.

"Watch your step."

Unfortunately for Lucy, his words are a bit too late, because the next thing she knows is that her foot gets caught in a particular rotted part of the trunk and the blonde lets out a cry of "Wh-oa!"

Lucy stumbles forwards, fully expecting to feel her face meet the ground, however, what happens instead is the feeling of strong, warm arms wrapped around her.

Letting out a startled breath, Lucy looks up to meet Natsu's wide, dark eyes blaring down at her. For a moment, time around them stands still and Lucy finds herself unable to look away from him. This was the closest she'd ever gotten to seeing them – his eyes and somewhere in the back of her mind, Lucy takes note that his eyes are indeed not totally black. She notices it the first day she met him, but had never gotten the chance to really see them. Tiny, golden specks flash around his pupil, if she didn't know any better, she'd say they were glowing.

It was sort of beautiful.

It takes another minute, which seems much longer to her, for Lucy to realize just how close she really is to him. Her arms are trapped between his chest, gripping onto the dark material of his shirt. She can feel his chest lifting as he breaths against her and his arms are still sacurely locked around her waist.

She can smell a faint smokey scent coming off of him. It was oddly comforting and if Lucy had forgotten just who the smell belonged to, she might have leaned closer to get a better whiff.

"What did I just say about watching your feet?"

His voice sounds almost strained as he speaks, but it's enough to get the blonde out of her little haze.

With stumbled movements, Lucy pulls away from him, getting no resistance from Natsu's part. If anything, he seems to be more grateful for the separation, Lucy doesn't understand the sting of rejection it gives her.

Lucy runs a hand through her long hair, her eyes trained anywhere else but him. "T-thanks," she says as she feels her face flush and hopes it's not totally noticeable. "Um, sorry."

In the corner of her eye she sees Natsu shake his head.

"Don't worry about it. You okay?"

Lucy swallows before giving him a quick nod of her own. She hears him grunt in reply, before hearing him turn and walk further down.

"Good, come on. Lets keep going."

Lucy wordlessly follows behind.

* * *

The next ten minutes or so were awkward as Lucy silently followed behind the tall boy. She'd tried thinking of something to break the tension that she was beginning to think only she felt, but nothing came to mind. She knew they'd have a hard time talking. It felt like all they ever did was argue up to this point.

So when Natsu's low voice sounded from the front of her, Lucy blinked in surprise.

"Um...sorry?" The blonde looked up at his back.

"School," he repeated, keeping his eyes trained on the forest ahead. "You excited for it?"

The question wasn't something she expected him to ask, then again she'd expected him to not talk at all. Lucy decided to answer truthfully. If he wanted to talk, at least it was better than the tense atmosphere.

"Pretty excited," Lucy answered, her voice slightly shaky from the effort of walking in the woods for so long. "But I will admit that I'm a bit nervous. I guess that kinda comes with being the new girl."

She sees him nod at the response, before glancing back at her briefly. "Lisanna and I were the new kids before too. It's can suck."

The fact that he was actually making an effort to keep up a conversation took the blonde by surprise, but it was a welcome one. Feeling more confident, Lucy moved to walk closer next to her neighbor, still trailing behind him, but this time she could see the side of his face.

"In that case," Lucy smiled up at him. "Got any advice for me?"

"I don't think I'm the best person to give you advice. Not if you want good advice anyway."

Lucy hummed at that, before saying, "fine, then can you tell me what  _not_ to do?"

She meets his eyes for a second as he regards her with a small smirk. Lucy swallows at the look of it, before forcing herself to focus on the trail again.

What was wrong with her today?

"Haven't you ever been the knew girl before?" he asks as Lucy avoids a long vine, moving a little ahead of him. "Don't tell me you were home-schooled back in Florida."

Lucy laughs at the very idea. "Ye-ah no, but I bet my father would have preferred it."

"You're old man protective or something?"

Lucy bites her lip at the question, eyes taking in the area as she walks. "Um a bit..." her voice trails off, before putting on her best smile. "But I mean aren't all parents like that?"

"I'll take your word for it," Natsu says and Lucy turns to look at her pink-head neighbor.

Her eyes find his again and Lucy furrows her eyebrows. There was something off about the way he said that, but like always, Natsu's eyes gave off nothing.

"Natsu…?"

Natsu's brow raises, a teasing smile back on his face and Lucy can't help like he's doing what she likes to do. Like he's using it as a mask.

She doesn't say another word, before Natsu walks passed her, jerking his chin as an indication for to follow him. Lucy frowns at the obvious avoid-play, but when she turns to follow him again, she freezes at the sight of him gone.

"Natsu?" Lucy calls when she definitely can't spot him. All that's ahead of her is a clearing of trees. Where did he disappear to now? "Natsu?" she calls a bit louder.

"Keep going!" she hears his voice ahead and Lucy frowns in confusion.

"Where are you? This whole thing of you ditching me is getting real old!" the blonde steps closer to the wall of trees, her eyes searching.

"Just keep moving forward! You gotta brush past them!"

Lucy follows the instructions, pulling her hair over her shoulder and keeping it in her hand so it won't get caught on anything. Lucy slowly moves between the small gaps between the many trees, only moving forward.

It doesn't take more than a few more shimmies before she is able to make it out of the clearing. She watches her feet as she walks over various rocks that pile up at the ends of the last trees. She hears Natsu call out to her from up ahead and she feels herself relax at the sound of it – a weird development, she notes. She's about to call out to Natsu too when he beats her to it.

"Welcome to our little piece of paradise."

Lucy stops in her moments and looks up in search of the pink-haired man. When she does, what she sees is enough to take her breath away.

She's standing on a bit of a sandy, rocky slope and the bit of height it gives her allows her the perfect view of the grove she's entered. The view ahead of her is something she'd never expected to see in her new town. It was breathtaking.

The area was like a small beach front, a large river lay in the short distance. It was surrounded by the forest that acted as a sort of barrier. She saw Natsu a few feet ahead of her, standing barefooted on the powdery, white sea sand. Shining rays of sunlight danced off of the crystal clear, blue water behind him. The water was so clear that Lucy could see the scattered pale rocks that lay on the river floor.

It was hard to turn her eyes away from it all. Everything about it seemed so enchanting.

Who would have thought that a place like this was laying right under her nose this whole time?

Lucy's eyes followed the slight ripple of the water, breathing in the cool air. Slowly, the blonde turned to stare down in awe at the man below. He was regarding her with a complicated expression. Lucy slowly started to walk down the slope, abandoning her sandals as she did.

Her voice was soft as she walked to stand next to him. "Where are we?"

"Natsu followed her movements, before turning to stare out at the water. "I just told you. Paradise."

For a long moment, Lucy simply just stood and watched the light play on the water. The pleasant feel of the warm sun on her skin gave her a sense of peace.

'Paradise.' She thought the name suited this place just fine.

"What do you think?" Natsu murmurs beside her. "Pretty cool, right?"

"It's breathtaking," Lucy answered honestly and glances up to see Natsu with an unexpected expression. For the first time, Lucy saw a soft smile on his lips. His usual cold eyes were more gentle then stone-y in that moment and Lucy stared in a different sort of awe up at him, before she formed her own little smile.

She couldn't help it. She knew that Natsu didn't like her and this was all for selfish intentions, but he didn't have to bring her here. With the way he was staring, Lucy was sure that this place was important to him.

She felt included – even if just a little, he had let her in.

With a happy sigh, Lucy turned back to the view of the lake, her smile only widening. "Thank you for bringing me here," she voiced. "This place is incredible."

Natsu chuckles softly beside her, but doesn't turn away from the water.

"It's a good place to get away from everything," he says, voice a bit far away.

Lucy's aunt's words echoed through her head at his words.  _"Those kids must have been through a lot."_ She wondered just how much they  _had_  gone through. Was whatever happened with their parents the reason why Natsu acted the way he did? Why he didn't want Lisanna to have any friends?

Peeking back up at the silent man, Lucy decided to give him a moment. Maybe he needed it. She gives him a smile, even if he can't see it and then starts walking towards the lake's edge.

"Don't go too far out," Natsu's voice follows her.

She looks over her shoulder at him, halting her steps as she does. His eyes are on her, looking down from his higher spot on the sandy slope.

"This lake's pretty deceptive," he says. "It doesn't look deep, but it can go down up to ten feet, twenty in others."

Lucy smiles up at him as he watches her. He looks almost worried, a strange look on his face. Yet another expression she'd never seen on him before. The blonde decides that she kinda likes this new side of Natsu. It's too bad he couldn't be like this all the time.

Before her pleasant mood could be shifted from past experiences, Lucy decides to focus on the moment. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

"I'll be careful," Lucy promises and sees him nod once, but the look of wariness still remains, before h looks back at the lake. She lets him be then, taking it as her cue and continues walking to the edge.

When she got only a few feet away from the water, Lucy drops her towel on the sand, confident that it won't blow away with the lack of wind. She then proceeded to meet the water, dipping her toes into the first bit of it. Lucy shivered at the cool feeling against her feet. It was a nice contrast to the hot sun.

She didn't go much further than that, only going deep enough for the water to come up to her ankles. She still wore her sundress and didn't want it to get wet.

Brown eyes went back to taking in the awe-worthy sight of the lake. It really was beautiful. She'd never had that much opportunity to see all of Florida's beaches, but she'd managed to see some. They in their own right were amazing, but Lucy had to hand it to this place, this was just spectacular.

She absently wondered if Aqua knew about this place. She had no doubt that her aunt would love it here – heck – she'd probably even prefer to live here!

Stretching up her arms in a small stretch, Lucy closed her eyes in utter bliss of the moment. Apparently she had been wrong about today. This was pretty cool and she had to admit, this did make the idea of this town a bit better.

"You know, before you came around, Lis used to come here all the time."

Natsu's voice startles Lucy out of her private moment and she turns around to see him staring down at her in the same place she left him. Despite her embarrassment of have his eyes on her during her moment, Lucy felt a small thrill go through her. She allowed it just for now.

"I'm not a bad influence, promise," Lucy said loud enough for him to hear, but with how closed in and quiet this place was, she didn't have to worry. "I've never even gotten in trouble before."

When the easy look on his face faded back into his distant, cold one, Lucy automatically wanted to take back her words.

"It doesn't matter what you are. You're nothing but trouble," his voice wasn't menacing like that other day at least, so Lucy didn't shrink away at his words.

"I love your vote of confidence in me," she teased, wanting desparetly for the mood to stay easy.

To her relief, Natsu chuckled faintly, his eyes closing with the action. When they opened again, the coldness was still there, but less than before.

"While we're here, how about we get to know each other," Natsu suggested, tilting his head slightly at her.

Lucy blinked at the offer, not being able to help but wonder what his alternative motive was this time.

"That depends. Are we still being fake?" Her voice was light, but serious. "Because if we are, I might just have to give some fake info."

The pink-head wrinkled his nose at that, before shaking his head and looking at her again. "I'm just trying to make this a…'pleasant experience'," he said, before shrugging. "But if you rather I just up, then I'll shut up."

Lucy clicked her tongue, before giving in. "Okay fine, lets talk. What do you want to know?"

Natsu smiles before moving to sit down on the sand. Once he's sitting crossed legged, he gives Lucy his attention again, who's stays standing in the water.

"My sister says you read a lot."

Lucy blushes at the statement, not expecting him to say something so random.

"She says you do it not to think." Natsu eyes her for a second, before continuing. "What are you trying to keep from thinking about?"

Lucy wasn't sure what she was supposed to make of that question. She also didn't know what was more surprising; The fact that Natsu and Lisanna talked about her – other than the obvious warning to keep away from her – or that Natsu was actually curious about her.

The blonde swallowed when Natsu continued to stare, waiting for an answer. "It's uh, not something I'm very willing to open up about."

"Why not?"

Lucy sighed. "I'd rather skip to the next question."

Natsu stares for a moment longer. His intense, searching glare had the blonde retreat her own eyes, choosing to instead stare at the sand.

Instead of taking it further, like she expected him to, or asking his next question, she hears Natsu shift and when she looks back at him, he's back on his feet. He's eyes aren't on her anymore, once again staring out at the water behind her.

"Let's go swimming."

She briefly wonders if she had bored him out of their game, but Lucy's confusion is quickly replaced with a dark flush of embarrassment when Natsu suddenly whips off his shirt in one fluid motion.

'Sweet maker of milk and cookies,' Lucy's eyes widen when she sees his bare chest for the second time. It's just as perfect as she remembers it – she wasn't that shallow to not admit he was hot – because he was. Natsu Dragneel was hot as fire.

Lucy swallows hard as she takes in his perfect physique; from his well toned abs to his broad shoulders. She was instantly grateful that he was already wearing his swim shorts. She didn't think she'd be able to handle him unbuttoning his jeans.

'Wa-oh! Bad thoughts Lucy Heartfilia. Bad thoughts!'

When he drops his shirt on the ground, Lucy is quick to avert her eyes, not wanting to be caught gwarking again. Instead she turns to look back at the water, her face still feeling like it might melt from the inner heat.

She hears Natsu approach the water and only when he passes her, does she turn to watch as he makes his way into it. Her eyes trace the muscles of his back, the tan skin looking almost golden in that moment. Her eyes catch sight of the red tattoo just below his right shoulder. She'd seen it that first day she met him, but she still wasn't sure what it was.

She watched as the man continued to walk through the water, before immersing himself into it's clear depths.

He breaks the surface a couple feet away from where he went under, turning to look back at her. He's close enough that Lucy can still make out his rugid features, but he's quite far from the shallow side now. His hair is slick and wet and she can make out the sparkle of his dark eyes against the sun's glare.

He fit right in with the breathtaking scenery, she had to admit it.

Almost as if he knew what she had been thinking, Lucy sees a smirk make it's way on Natsu's handsome face.

"Are you coming in?" He calls out to her as he floats over the surface.

Lucy only hesitates a second, the enticing view of the water quickly making her mind up for her.

As her answer, the blonde turns away from him and grips the hem of her sundress. She suddenly feels nervous as she tightens her fingers into the fabric. Was he watching her, like she had done with him?

Lucy shook her head at the stupid thought. She was being silly, this was her arrogant neighbor! Before she could lose her nerve again, Lucy pulled the dress up and over her head, being careful not to get it tangled and end up looking like a complete idiot.

She almost expected some sort of sarcastic comment or something to that affect once she was left in her bikini, but nothing came. When she turned back to the water, Lucy kept her eyes downcast, pretending to be admiring the water and watching her feet, when in reality she didn't want to meet Natsu's stare.

She wasn't overly self conscious about her body, well maybe a little – but what girl wasn't? It was just that it felt strange. On the rare occasions that she had gone swimming with her friends, Lucy had always been in a group and there were always other girls present. Now it was just her and a guy – a regrettably gorgeous guy and Lucy couldn't help but feel nervous.

She tried not to think about it – the reality of the situation and reminded herself that this wasn't something she needed to worry about. Natsu had made it pretty obvious that he hated her. He wouldn't care what she looked like. She could use that as a sliver of comfort.

After all, Natsu wasn't a possible boyfriend.

Lucy slowly made her way deeper into the water, too chicken to strut right like Natsu had earlier.

The water eventually came up to her thighs and Lucy stopped to get used to the cold feeling. Brown eyes gazed down at the water, easily making out her own legs and feet bellow. She'd never seen water so clear before.

Lucy reaches down to trace the top of the water with her fingers, the digits running through the cool water. She could definitely see why Lisanna and Natsu came here so often. She'd have to remember the route when they walked back so she could come back again.

That is, if Natsu wouldn't chase her away with a stick.

It seemed like it was the siblings private place and she'd already caused a riff between them. Did she really want to invade their special place too?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Natsu called out to her again. She looked forward to where the man was still floating.

"Is that seriously as deep as you're gonna go, kitten?" he asked, a playful smirk playing on his lips, before he dives back into the water.

Lucy frowns at the empty spot Natsu used to be, before taking another step forward. There must have been some sort of hollow dip, because Lucy is suddenly in waist-high water and the blonde squeals at the coldness that washes over her hips.

She hears a splashing noise further up and Lucy stiffly looks out to see Natsu's visible head again, that smirk still in place.

When his eyes land on her, a look of slight annoyance joins that smirk.

"You barely gotten any progress. Don't tell me you're scared to go deeper."

Lucy uncomfortably folds her arms around herself, flinching at the icy feeling of her wet fingers touching her warm skin.

"Give me a break, okay?" Lucy calls back. "The water's freezing." Her arms unconsciously move higher, hiding her bikini area. She thought she saw Natsu's eyes follow the movement, but his eyes were back on hers in an instant. "You know what?" Lucy started, shivering again. "i think I'm just gonna go back and tan a bit."

One of Natsu's pink brows lifted. "You're already halfway in. What's the point in quitting now?"

Lucy smiled quiltally, already turning to retreat back to shore. "That's me! I'm a quitter. I'll just go and scold myself while I relax on the sand."

She didn't make two steps however, when her back was suddenly engolfed in cold water. Lucy almost doppled down at the frozen feeling, but managed to steady herself, before turning sharply to glare at the smirking boy.

One tanned arm was still stretched out from post causing the splash. How did it even reach her? He was a good 12 feet away!

Natsu's smirk only grew at her glare "Kitten, don't make me come over there and force you in."

"You wouldn't dare," Lucy glared.

The smirk on her neighbor's face turned into an innocent grin and Lucy mentally added it to the exclusive list of new expressions he showed her.

"I'm trying to get you to relax and you're just bundled up like a tiny little puffball," Natsu defended himself.

Lucy couldn't hold back the sarcasm in her voice when she said, "That's rich coming from you."

She watched him roll his eyes before jerking his head in a 'come here' notion. "Come on, it'll be fun. I promise."

In that moment, that she knows she shouldn't fall for, Lucy felt like Natsu actually meant it. Like he really did want to have some fun with her. The double guessing on whether he was actually trying or not gave the blonde a headache. Even if she did think he was an asswhole – most of the time, it would still hurt if they ended up having a good time and then he went back to hating her again tomorrow.

Still, it really was a nice day and if she could at least say she tried with Natsu, she'd be satisfied.

Lucy smiled in defeat, her eyes meeting the dark ones further out. "You know what? Okay, but If I die from shiver fever, it's on your conscious!"

When Natsu smiled, Lucy refused to let herself think that the world seemed to glow brighter. It was just her silly, overactive girl mind playing funny games with her. Sealing her fate, Lucy forces herself deeper and deeper into the water. When it went over her belly button, she decides to bite the bullet and dives in.

The expected cold feeling surrounds her, but it goes away instantly, being replaced by a moment of complete and utter freedom. All her worries and thoughts leave her head as she swims beneath the surface.

Eventually air becomes a must and Lucy shoots out of the water, her wet hair clinging annoyingly to her neck and shoulders. As she gasps for breath, Lucy blinks away the water from her eyes to see Natsu much closer to her than before. He was still smiling.

"So?" He grins. "How'd you feel?"

Lucy finds his smile contagious, her hands pulling away some of the stray hairs that clung to her cheek. "Okay, I admit it," she giggles. "This feels amazing!"

Natsu's smile widens, but in a blink of an eye, it changes from serene to mischievous. Lucy feels her heart falter.

"Natsu? Wha – AH!"

A tital wave of water splashes towards her, dousing the blonde in magic and laughter – Natsu's laughter.

"Come on, kitten," Natsu urges. "Loosen up and have some fun!" He punctuates the last word by splashing again.

Lucy shields her eyes this time, before quickly striking back as hard as she can. "That's it, this is war!" If he wants a war, he's going to get one!

Natsu's laughter mingles with her own as she splashes him back. Her own waves are much smaller than his and probably less effective, though Lucy can't really tell when her vision obscured by water.

The splashing suddenly stops on his end and Lucy sees the pink-haired man fling himself backwards. Lucy follows in a heartbeat, still giddy with laughter.

"Oh no! I'm drowning," Natsu suddenly yells out playfully and Lucy watches as he starts making gurgling sounds as he bouys himself up and down, pretending to drown. "Save me, kitten!"

Lucy giggles hard as she floats nearer to him, but doesn't move to 'help him.' Instead the blonde takes the chance to splash him again and this time the water hits him square in the face.

"Hey!" Natsu yells.

Lucy laughs more at the look of surprise on his face. Did he really think she would be able to resist the clear shot?

"Oh Natsu, you're theatrics are awful," the blonde said through a breathy laugh. "And here I was thinking you were a good actor."

Natsu laughs too as he straightens himself out and grins, giving her mock glare. "What a heartless kitten you are."

Lucy rolls her eyes amusingly, before eyeing the pink head. "Why do you call me that?"

"Because it makes your hair stand on end like a kitten."

"Can't you try and be serious?" she shakes her head. "Tell me, really."

Natsu huffs out a laugh, before grinning evilly at her. "You'll never know, kitten."

Lucy pouts at him. Natsu grins back at her, before looking up at the sky. Lucy remembers him doing that earlier too, she follows his lead and tilts her head up. There were no clouds in the sky today, the sun still shining down brightly. It was still so peaceful.

"You know, you're nothing like I expected you to be at all."

His confession surprises her. It seemed he was getting good at doing that. When she looks back at him, he's looking at her with that same thoughtful expression on his face.

"What do you mean?"

She watched him shrug from their short distance. She frowns.

"Okay, let me guess then...does..." she bites her lips as she regards him. "Does this mean that you might be changing your mind about me?"

His expression doesn't give away anything and Lucy wishes she could read his mind. Natsu's eyes go back to the sky for a minute, before he looks back at her.

"Maybe a little," he answers. "But I don't half-ass anything, so I've got plenty of time to decide."

Lucy can't stop herself from scoffing as she watches the snarky, half grin form on his face, before it turns more serious again.

"You don't have anything in common with us, you know? We're different."

Lucy frowned at that, swimming a little closer to him. "Lisanna and I have plenty in common."

Natsu shakes his head, a chuckle leaving his mouth like he knows some secret joke. "That's not what I mean, kitten. We're just not the same type of people."

The blonde sighs tiredly at his coy words. "I don't care. I want to be friends with Lisanna...and if you'd let me. I'd like to be your friend too."

Her words make Natsu cock an eyebrow at her and Lucy keeps the eye contact, wanting to show him just how serious she was about it.

Natsu stays quiet for a while, that clouded look back in his eyes as he searches her face. Lucy tries not to shy away at the intense stare.

"You're...not like the rest of them, are you?" His words are soft, more of a whisper, but Lucy still hears them and frowns in her confusion.

"Them? You mean like the towns people?" Did that have a part to play in all this?

The colors in Natsu's eyes seem to shift again and without a word, he dives back into the water.

Lucy suppresses the urge to sigh in frustration. " _Geez_. This guys is so confusion!"

When he doesn't come back up again straight away. Lucy figures that he's pretty much tone with their topic and she wasn't about to force it out of him.

Her eyes land back on the shore and the blonde starts swimming in its direction. 'While he's busy playing Mr. Mysterious, I'll just go and enjoy the sunshine.'

Once back on the sandy shore, Lucy grabs her towel and spreads it over the sand, before stretching her her body over it. The suns is quick in drying her damp skin and pretty soon, Lucy only had a few water droplets covering her skin, along with her soaked swimsuit and wet hair.

She hears Natsu splash around in the water behind her, but he doesn't complain about her departure, so she doesn't say anything either.

Lucy basks in the cool breeze and leans back on her elbows, moving around so she can watch the sun play across the lake's surface. She soon finds herself drifting in and out of her imagination.

She isn't sure how much time passes as she lays there.

"Hey, Natsu…." Lucy softly calls, her eyes still unfocused on the water. When she doesn't hear him answer, the blonde furrows her eyebrows and sits up straighter. Her eyes searching the water, more awake now.

"….Natsu?"

Silence and emptiness are all that answers back.

Unease starts to bubble in the pit off her stomach when she realizes that she can't find him anywhere.

"Relax Lucy, he's probably just pranking me. Seems like a Natsu thing to do, right?" Lucy tells herself as she continues to scan the area, already back on her feet.

'If he broke through the water and started walking around, I'd have noticed...right?'

Seconds drag into minutes as Lucy feels her heartbeat increasing with each passing moment. It had to be over ten minutes now and she still hadn't seen Natsu. This wasn't normal, right?

Lucy doesn't think as she starts walking towards the water.

"Natsu!?"

She still gets no response and now she's running towards the water, almost tripping as she stops at the edge.

"NATSU!"

There's still no answer and the thought of Natsu actually drowning has Lucy shaking. She's about to run and dive into the water and start a one man search party when suddenly-

Natsu resurfaces, taking a deep breath as he does so.

"Natsu!" Lucy cries, almost collapsing at the sight of him.

As he shakes the water from his his eyes, he turns to give her a confused look. "You okay? You seem a little freaked out?"

Lucy feels her temper spike at his easy going attitude. "What the heck were you thinking!?" yells at him, her body still shaking from earlier. "I was worried sick about you!"

Natsu's eyes widen in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You were under there for over ten minutes! I counted!" Lucy felt herself trembling out of both frustration and relief as she stared at the pink-haired idiot. It made her scream louder. "I thought you drowned, you idiot!"

A look of understanding washes over his face and then Natsu starts moving towards her, but Lucy turns away from him, stomping back to her towel.

"Woah, wait!" Natsu calls after her, but she keeps walking.

Lucy doesn't even spare him a glance as she hears him leave the water.

"You were really worried about me?" he asks as she picks up her sundress and awkwardly pulls it on. She's too pissed off to care this time though.

The surprised tone has Lucy's anger spike more and she sharply turns to glare at him. "Of cause I was worried!" she tries to calm herself as she tugs the dress down, but the adrenaline still pumps rapidly in her veins. "I didn't want you to die in the lake just because I was enjoying the sun!"

Honestly, why did he sound so surprised? Did he really thing she was so shallow that she wouldn't care whether he drowned or not?

A beat of silence passes as Lucy attempts to breath away her frustration, breaking the eye contact with the still bewilded Natsu. When he finally speaks, it's not what Lucy expects to hear.

"Why?"

Lucy almost marches over to him and kicks him for the stupid question, but manages to hold her ground – just barely. With an agitated voice, she says, "What do you mean why? Good people worry about other people."

Her neighbor observes her for a moment, before shaking his head thoughtfully. "Not everyone's like that, kitten."

Despite his calm tone, Lucy still didn't feel any better. She wasn't in the mood to try and decode whatever Natsu meant right now. She's had enough of double guessing for one day.

With a tired, shaky huff, Lucy turns away from him and aggressively picks up her towel, not caring enough to shake off the pieces of sand that stick to it.

"Okay," she breaths. "Fine, keep being cryptic then, I'm over it." She starts to walk back up the slope of sand, towards the trees that enclose the lake. "If this is the thanks I get for admitting that I'm worried about you, then whatever!"

She feels Natsu's body following closely behind her.

"Sorry, kitten. I'm just surprised, that's all."

Lucy still wasn't over it.

"You were under water for over ten minutes," she said under her breath. "I swear!"

"No one can hold their breath for that long, kitten," she heard him say.

"Apparently you can!"

The light laugh that sounds behind her has Lucy shoot a glare over her shoulder. Natsu meets it with a grin that he doesn't deserve to show yet.

"I came up for air, kitten. You must have not seen me, but I came up and then I went back down."

The rational side of her knew he was right. She'd been dozing off after all, but at the same time…

Lucy closes her eyes and shakes her head, before looking back up at the trees ahead. She was still too angry and too tired to think clearly. "Whatever, okay. Cab we just go? I have a headache."

She watched Natsu nod in the corner of her eye. "Sure, I think it's gonna start getting dark soon anyway."

The blonde frowned at him in confusion and turns to full look at him. "Can't be," she says. "We haven't even been here for that long."

Slowly, a smirk appears on his face. "We've been here for hours, kitten. It must be close to four by now."

Lucy blinks at that, before actually taking in her surroundings. She notices that the sky is a bit duller in color than earlier.

"That's insane," she gapes. "I didn't even notice."

"Heh," Natsu huffs. "Maybe when I get my keys back, I'll buy you a watch. You seem to be bad with time."

It's then that Lucy remembers again just why they're here. Somehow, somewhere along the line, she'd forgotten. This wasn't a friendly outing, it was to get Natsu's keys back from Lisanna.

Lucy quickly shakes off the unwanted feeling of slight disappointment. She knew this was never going to be anything but fake. She lost nothing today.

Fiddling with the towel in her hands, Lucy nodded and looked back at Natsu. "Yeah, I'll tell Lisanna you behaved. I'm sure she'll give you your keys back." It was mostly the truth, after all.

"Whatever you want to say is your choice," the pink-head shrugged easily. "But it has to come from you if it's gonna sell her on it."

Lucy frowned at the comment.

"Great, can we go now?"

Natsu nods. "Sure, I'm just gonna grab my stuff."

Lucy watches as he moves away to retrieve his shirt and shoes. She sighs, before turning back to the trees. At least she got to go swimming today. It wasn't a total wast of a day at least.

Lucy doesn't wait for Natsu as she picks up her sandals and then starts moving over the scurry of rocks, but one misstep has her accidentally slipping.

"Ah!"

"Lucy!"

Once again, the blonde finds herself safely in Natsu's arms as he catches her. When she relaxes, she looks up to meet Natsu's amused stare. Even with how annoyed she feels, the look in his eyes still has her breath catch against her will.

"You know, maybe – just maybe – we should put you in a bubble," Natsu jokes. "You're quite the klutz, you know that?"

Blood rushes to Lucy's cheeks as Natsu straightens her up, but doesn't let her go yet. Lucy avoids his gaze, embarrassed for so many reasons. She hears him chuckle and her stupid heart does that floppy thing again and she wants to scream at it to cut it out.

She finally wills herself to meet his eyes again when he gives her a quick squeeze, the action feeling more like he was trying to get something across to her. She just didn't know what. Lucy's eyes widen slightly when a thought goes through her head.

'Is he...apologizing without actually saying it?'

Natsu must understand the look she gives him, because he shakes his head at her, his voice a tad more serious than before.

"Hey, I'm just being nice because Lisanna will kill me if you drowned today."

How was he so good at ruining their already rare moments?

Lucy feels herself deflate, the angry being overpowered by how tired she was right now. Rolling her eyes, the blonde muttered. "Admit it already. You're actually an okay guy."

He chuckles again, before pulling away from her. "Never."

This time Natsu enters the forest first, easily jumping over the stray rocks, before offering a hand out to the blonde girl. Lucy tells herself she's too tired to argue with him when she accepts it.

When they're both surrounded in the shadowed closure of the forest trees, Natsu lets go of her hand, but doesn't automatically start walking.

Lucy looks up at him, watching the troubled look on his face, waiting for him to voice his thoughts.

When his eyes meet hers, he sighs.

"Listen. I am sorry that I scared you back there, but I really was under there for like...a minute...tops."

Lucy eyes him, before breathing out slowly and then offering him a tiny smile. He only stares at her.

"It's whatever, Natsu. Seriously, don't worry about it. I just got freaked."

Natsu doesn't return the smile or say anything further and Lucy takes that as her cue.

"Come on, lets go home. I'm starting to get cold."

Natsu nods, before gesturing towards the trail that led them to the lake. "You're right. The sooner we head home, the sooner we can call it a day."

* * *

The walk back home was a quiet one, neither Lucy nor Natsu having much to say. Lucy was almost grateful for it. It made everything easier.

She knew that once they said goodbye that this little act would disappear and that'd be it. She didn't want to add salt to the wound, because the truth was….she _did_  have a good time with Natsu – at least until that last part.

The trail led them back to Natsu's house first, but as they walked to it, Lucy didn't feel like stopping and giving Natsu a 'thanks for the day' that he wouldn't even care for.

She'd just keep walking and wave goodbye to him. It would be his choice whether he wanted to wave back. She didn't think he would though.

Lucy gripped onto her plan, but when they reached the front area of his house, Lucy froze at the sound of Natsu's enraged voice.

"Fucking dammit. What the hell?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> This one turned out a lot longer than I planned. I guess I got carried away ;)
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think, please!
> 
> Also, sorry if the spelling errors are too much to handle, I finished this chapter in a hurry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Here's chapter 5 ^^
> 
> Hope you all enjoy it. Sorry again for any any spelling mistakes, try and brave through it =D
> 
> Thanks for all the comments/kudos/bookmarks! Please let me know what you think this time too.

 

"Fucking dammit," Natsu hissed out. "Are you kidding me?"

Lucy blinks once at Natsu's hushed, angry tone, before turning to see what it was he's looking at.

The only thing out of place from earlier was a truck parked in his driveway. She hadn't even noticed it when they got out of the woods, but then again, she wasn't exactly paying much attention.

Lucy's curious stare goes back to Natsu, who was still frowning at the new vehicle in front of his house.

"Natsu, is something wrong? Whose truck is that?" Lucy asks him.

He doesn't even look at her when he replies; "Listen, just go home okay?"

It's Lucy's turn to frown now, her lips curling downwards at his tone. What was going on?

"Are you okay? Should...should I call someone?"

This gets Natsu to look down at her, a frustrated look on his face. "Wha – no," clear irritation in his voice. "And I'd really appreciate it if you -"

Before Natsu can finish, the front door to his house slams open and both neighbors turn to see a young man walk out.

The stranger struts out onto the porch, casually looking around the yard, before his eyes land on them, first on Natsu, then on Lucy. His stare is intimidating, Lucy finds. Before she can break the contact though, the man suddenly starts stomping towards them, an unreadable expression on his face.

She feels her body stiffen instantly when his eyes stay on her as he gets closer.

'Who is this guy?'

His movements are powerful and confident, like he owned the ground he was walking on.

His entire structure was just intimidating. Lucy could easily peg him as the bad boy type, he fit it perfectly with his image. The man had long, shaggy, black hair falling all the way down to his waist. He wore baggy jeans and a faded, grey T-shirt that looked like he had ripped off the sleeves himself, exposing his massive, muscular arms. It was obvious that this guy spent most of his time in a gym...and were those steel studs acting as eyebrows?

"What the hell do we have here?" the stranger said when he was only a couple feet away from them, only stopping when he was close enough to be able to reach out to them. His voice was gruff as he spoke, but despite his choice of words, he doesn't sound angry. Lucy was grateful, but the feeling of relief didn't last long as his sharp eyes still stared on her.

She suddenly found herself able to speak, her body tensing as she forced herself to keep eye contact with him. She had to tilt her head up with him too, but this time it was way worse. This guy was huge – she had thought that he looked tall from far off, but now that he stood in front of her, he even overtook Natsu who was already tall to Lucy. It was impressive really, considering Lucy, herself wasn't that short to begin with...were all the guys around here freakishly tall?

"Nothing," Natsu's low voice answered the man's earlier question and Lucy flinched slightly at it, but was instantly grateful when the stranger broke their staring contest to look at the pink-head. "And since my sister isn't here, I wanna know why you've come to my house?"

Lucy watched uncomfortably as the taller man smirked at the harsh reply.

"Nice to see ya too, Dragneel."

Natsu made a distasteful grunting noise, which only pulled an amused chuckle from the raven.

"I was wondering where ya were. We had to let ourselves in. Didn't think it would be a problem." His voice held the same tone of arrogance Natsu sometimes had, but this time it came off as more annoying than scary to Lucy. The raven's dark, brown eyes go back to Lucy, giving her a quick once over that had her wanting to shrink away, before he looked at Natsu again.

Lucy peeked back at Natsu, watching him fold his arms.

"What do you want, Gajeel?" Natsu grit out, his eyes narrowing at the taller man.

'Gajeel?' Lucy repeated in her mind. 'So that was his name? Kinda strange.'

Gajeel opens his mouth to answer, only to close it and look back down at Lucy, one pieced brow raising when she met his stair again. "Surprised you're hanging out with em. I thought you weren't into it."

Lucy frowns in confusion and opens her mouth to ask what he meant when Natsu suddenly lets out a warning...growl?

"Gajeel, if you value your ability to walk, I'd drop it."

"Ya know, Laxus ain't gonna like this. Don't worry though, I got no problem with it."

"Laxus?" Lucy whispers, her brow furrowed.

" _Gajeel_."

Lucy looks up to see Natsu glaring almost threateningly at the other, still smirking man. She feels her nerves start to build up again.

"Natsu. Are y-"

The sound of the other man's laughter interrupts her and Lucy turns to stare questioningly back at him, her brows still curled in worry. When he meets her stare, he snickers again. Lucy's eyebrow twitches in annoyance this time at the sound.

" _Gi_ _-_ _hee_. Don't take him seriously, barbie. He's all bark and no bite," the man smirks down at her, casually stuffing his hands into his jean's pockets.

Lucy's concern turns to irritation in seconds and she stares appalled at the other man. " _Barbie?_ "

Gajeel's smirk widens at her stare. "You like? I think it suits ya."

Lucy scowled up at the scary-looking man. What was with this town and nicknames?

"I don't," Lucy said, some how finding the newcomer less threatening than before. "My name's-"

"Go home, Lucy. Seriously," Natsu tells her and Lucy snaps back to look at him, but the pink-head still refuses to look at her. It infuriates her.

Peeking back at the other man, Lucy wonders if it's really okay to leave. These two didn't seem to like each other very much. What if they got into a fist fight as soon as she left? The thought only made her hesitation grow and the blonde looked back at Natsu, an uncertain look on her face.

"I don't..." she reaches for his arm, but he jerks it back away from her and then finally looks at her. Something dark swirls in his eyes when he does, but what it is; guilt? Loneliness...she can't tell.

"Natsu, I-" she tried again, only to be cut short.

"Go home," his order, his voice growing darker. "The day's over, we don't have to act anymore."

Lucy's brow furrows at the tone of his voice, something almost mocking about it. He was pushing her away again. Why? For this guy?

"But-" Lucy starts, her voice softer now as she looks up at him.

"I said: Go home."

The blonde's eyes widen, before she forced herself to calm down. She knew it would be like this when they got back, but the feeling still hurt. She gives one nod, before shooting another look at the other man. He grins at her and Lucy stares at it suspiciously, before meeting his eyes. Only when he winks at her, does she turn (though not before giving him a disgusted look) and uncertainly start walking away from them and back to her house. She can still feel their eyes on her back as she does, but she keeps herself from looking over her shoulder.

It was only when she reaches her front door, that she hears their muffled voices again. She halted in her movements at the sound, her earlier fear and curiosity coming back. Who was this new guy and why was he here?

It didn't sound like Natsu was friends with him. Maybe she should – No!

Lucy shook her head and reached for the door handle, only to fin herself unwilling to turn it. Her head turned back in the direction of where she left the two men, not being able to see them anymore from where she stood, because of her house's walls.

It really wasn't any of her business...but….

Lucy found herself sneaking behind the side of her house's wall, before she could think to stop herself. It was the closest she could get to them without being spotted. It was also the same place she'd been standing on that night while spying on Natsu and Lisanna in the rain.

Great – now she was making a habit out of this.

Lucy silently swore that this would be the last time she spied on her neighbors.

As cautiously as she could be, the blonde peeled around the corner, relieved when neither one of the men were looking her way. She held her breath as she tried to listen in.

"-op it," she heard Natsu say, his voice barely reaching her ears.

"I gotta admit," came the others gruffer voice. "Never pegged you for the blonde type."

'They're still talking about me!' Lucy frowned, not understanding why. She watched as Natsu gave off a scoff and shook his head.

"Look, it's not what you think," the pink-head sighed. "Lis blackmailed me into hanging out with her by taking my car keys. I just want them back."

Immediately, the smirk-y, arrogant aura of the other man shifts and he looks in the direction of Lucy's house. Lucy almost lets out a squeak, but is quick to hide behind the wall again and only hopes he didn't catch her snooping. Once was enough for her. Although, she should probably stop putting herself in these positions too.

There's a break of silence, before she hears the other man speak again and she has to strain her ears to catch it.

"So she's Lisanna's little friend, huh?" he voices and Lucy wonders why he knows about her. Was he Natsu's friend after all?

"That's how it's gonna be apparently," she hears Natsu reply. "Either that or Lis stops talking to me." Another moment of silence. "But it won't last. I'll get through to her eventually," Natsu sighs out.

Lucy bites her lip at that last part. Guess that means that Natsu hadn't changed his mind about he after all.

"She doesn't seem too bad," she hears Gajeel grunt. "Girl's got spunk. I like that in a women." He says the last part with a snicker and Lucy quickly decides that she doesn't like this new guy.  _Ew._

She hears Natsu sigh tiredly again, before saying; "What are you doing here, Gajeel?"

"Talk to Laxus. I came with him."

"Fan –  _fucking_  – tastic," Natsu grits and then it goes quiet again.

When Lucy peeks behind the wall again, she finds the area empty.

'They must have gone inside,' Lucy breaths, eyes drawling to the new truck. As she goes to enter her house, she wonders just who this Gajeel and Laxus is to Natsu and Lisanna?

* * *

Lucy spends the rest of the afternoon lost in her thoughts, something she'd done quite a lot even before she'd moved to this town. Being alone wasn't new to her, but she still hated it sometimes.

The blonde boredly walked into the lounge, casting a look at the window. Natsu had been right. They ended up spending most of the day at the lake. It had been just after five when Lucy had made it inside her house. Now it was getting dark outside.

Her aunt had apparently been called in to work after all, leaving Lucy a very-obviously agitated letter. She only hoped that Aqua had indeed gotten some decent sleep before she had been called in.

So with her aunt off at work and Lisanna gone who-knows-where, it left Lucy all alone in the house and despite her best efforts – she couldn't get over her last experience with Natsu and that strange man.

Over the past two hours, Lucy's annoyance had only risen,, until she was down right angry. Only, it wasn't just directed at Natsu for going straight back to jerk mode, but at herself for actually thinking he'd changed his mind on her just a little bit.

Nope, in the end, the whole day of 'bonding' had been for nothing.  _Just fake_. The worst part of it was, was that she saw it coming, but chose to be hopeful. It only made the feeling of being rejected that much harder.

Lucy turns away from the window, moving over to the couch and then flopping down onto it, her eyes moving to just stare up at the ceiling.

Why did she even care what Natsu thought of her anyway? He was a total jerk. So what if he didn't want her hanging out with his sister? She'd made it pretty obvious that she had no intention on backing off and Lucy wasn't about to do the same.

Sighing, Lucy's eyes drifted to the kitchen doorway. The kitchen's lights were still off, she hadn't bothered with switching them on when she got home. Maybe she should just go and cook? It would be a good way of getting her mind off of things and at least Aqua would have something homemade to come home to...but what to make?

While Lucy tries to make up her mind, her phone starts to ring. Lucy fishes it out of her sweatpants and brings it up to her face to check the caller ID.

'Oh! It's Lisanna calling!'

She hadn't ever gotten a reply to her earlier text messages she'd sent the missing girl, after she found out that the girl had left town. Lucy hadn't bothered calling her, in fear that she might be interrupting something and just figured that if Lisanna wanted to talk to her, she would.

Lucy quickly answered the call, before pressing the phone to her ear and immediately heard her friend's excited voice.

" **Lucy, hey! How are you?"**  Lisanna's chirpy voice asked on the other end of the call.

"I'm more interested in you. Are you okay?" Lucy asked back. "Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving town? I had to find out by your brother."

She heard the other girl gasp, as if she didn't realize how weird it was that she hadn't warned her.

" **Oh! Sorry! _Uhm_ , it's just a family thing, don't worry about it. I'm fine."**

Lucy hummed at the short explanation. 'Family huh? Aquarius was right…did that mean that she was at her parent's house, maybe?'

" **Lucy? You still there?"** Lisanna asked nervously and Lucy blinked out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah-yeah," Lucy answered, her tone genuine. "I'm just glad you're okay, but I won't lie. I'm looking forward to having you back. You won't believe how bored I am right now."

She hears the other girl giggle.  **"Me too, I'd rather be home. This place is kinda dreary."**

"Dreary?"

" **Nevermind, hey! Why don't you tell me about your day? I bet it was loads more exciting then mine. I heard that Natsu finally decided to take you swimming."**

Lucy's brow raised. "What do you mean finally?" And then realization hit her. "Lisanna, did you tell your brother to take me swimming?" Had that been part of the plan too? She hated to admit it, but she hoped that wasn't the case.

" **No,"**  Lisanna answered.  **"I just told him to be nice to you, but I didn't expect him to go that far...is it okay that I did?"**

Lucy sighed at her small voice. Honestly, she was touched that Lisanna would do something like that for her. She just wanted her new friend and her brother to get along, not to mention that it had been her way of 'fixing it'.

"It's totally cool," the blonde smiled. "I even heard you stole his car keys. Pretty brutal, L. I didn't think you had it in you."

She hears Lisanna giggle cheekily on the other end.

" **I was happy to do it. So? How was it?"**  Her voice took on a nervous tone then.

Lucy paused in answering, remembering how the day had gone. In all honesty, yes, she'd had fun. More than she expected to have with someone like Natsu. In fact, if it wasn't for how it ended, she'd have still been pretty satisfied...but she didn't want to tell Lisanna the last part.

"You know? Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun," Lucy admitted. "Natsu tried his best t be a gentlemen and for a moment I actually believed him."

" **What about the other moments?"**

Lucy sighed again, a tired sound. Obviously she wasn't going to pull a fast one on her.

"I just don't think him and I are going to be making smoures beside the fire anytime soon, L. I'm sorry."

" **It's not your fault. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting…I guess one good moment is better than how it could have gone."**

Lucy smiles. "And hey, I managed to only yell at him a few times today. If that's not an improvement, I don't know what is!" Lisanna laughs and Lucy joins in.

" **Yeah, that is something to be grateful for...hey, you know my brother does have a soft side to him. He just doesn't like to let people see it."**

"I guess he only lets it peek out when he's being blackmailed," Lucy hummed.

" **Did anything else happen?"**

Lucy pauses at the moment of hesitation in Lisanna's voice when she asks that question. Her mind flashes back to Gajeel and Natsu's confrontation when they returned home. Should she tell Lisanna about that?

Would it be wrong for her to ask who Gajeel and this Laxus guy were and what their deal was? The thing Gajeel had said about this Laxus, made Lucy think that he might have something to do with Natsu's grudge against her or pretty much anybody she guessed. Was it crossing some personal, family line? Still, if there was a problem, didn't Lisanna deserve too know about it?

"Um..." Lucy bit her lip. "When we got back, this gut was by your house….his name was Gajeel, if I remember right."

Lisanna was silent for a minute and Lucy paused to check to see if the call had ended.

"L?" Lucy tried when she had the phone back to her ear.

" **Oh sorry, I got distracted. Um, yeah I know who you're talking about. That's Gajeel Redfox."**

Lucy hummed thoughtfully. "Natsu didn't seem to like that he was there. Should I be worried that I might find a dead body tomorrow?"

" **No no,"**  Lisanna huffed out a laugh.  **"Gajeel's just an old friend. Him and Natsu always act that way around each other, believe it or not they're actually close."**

Lucy blinked at that. She was right, she didn't believe it.

" **I wouldn't worry about it,"** Lisanna assured, somehow catching onto Lucy's nerves.  **"I'm pretty sure they're hanging out right now."**

She felt a bit better now, at least and the blonde nodded. "Okay, must just be some weird guy thing then."

" **Yeah...um. I have to go, sorry. They're calling me down for dinner. I'll call you tomorrow again?"**

Lucy nodded again, trying to stifle a small yarn. "Sure, enjoy it. I'm gonna start cooking something now too."

" **Great! Good night Lucy!"**

"Good night, L."

Lucy hung up first, feeling like a weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. She was glad Lisanna called her. At least she knew where she was now and that it wasn't anything serious. Plus, now she didn't have to go outside and worry about seeing any dead bodies!

Sighing again, Lucy looked back up at the ceiling, her phone laying uselessly on her stomach.

Was it just her or was her life getting weirder?

* * *

The next week of summer crawl by at a snails pace.

With Lisanna gone, Lucy finds herself going back to her lazy, boring days of reading and lounging around the house. The blonde was currently sprawled over her bed, arms spread out wide as she voidly looked in the direction of her window.

The book, 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes lay at her side. She'd just finished reading it and the blonde was now filled with both teary-depression and boredom – the perfect combo.

She knew she should have just reread 'The Notebook.'

Sighing, Lucy peeked over at her digital clock, silently wishing for it to be closer to the evening already. Her disappointment grew when the time read 9:43. The days just seemed to drag on lately.

She'd been keeping in contact with Lisanna everyday, but besides that and the late dinner's with her aunt, Lucy was left to hang with herself.

'I'm so bored that I can practically feel my soul trying to escape this husk of a body.'

'Wow...okay, no more books with deep, sad endings,' Lucy promised herself. She then rolls over onto her stomach, before looking back out at the window.

At least she didn't have to worry about her neighbor after all. True to Lisanna's reassurance, Lucy hadn't yet found any dead bodies around the yard and it had already been a week since she met that weird new guy.

More than once, Lucy found herself thinking about how Natsu was doing. She trusted Lisanna on her opinion on Gajeel, but she still felt like something had been off that day – like there was more to the story.

She wondered if she should go and check on him? She hadn't even seen him since that day. Then again, she doubted that Natsu would even want to see her again, now that Lisanna had told him where is keys were hidden. She's noticed his red bakkie missing every once in a while, so she assumed he had gotten them back. Lisanna had said she would tell him too.

Groaning in her complete boredom, Lucy pushes herself up, before walking to her desk. Maybe she'd just find something to do on her laptop.

The blonde had just opened the computer, when a knock from down stairs was heard. Lucy turned to her door, as if doing so would tell her who was at the door.

'Did Aqua forget her keys?'

Lucy quickly makes her way downstairs, before opening the front door. When it's open though, it wasn't her aunt waiting outside.

"Natsu?" Lucy blinked in surprise at her scarce neighbor.

Natsu Dragneel stood with his back to her, not seeming to notice or care that she had just answered the door. Those piercing, black eyes of his were looking up at the cloudless sky. She absently remembers him doing that before too. She wondered what he thought about when he did that.

Lucy slowly crept out of the house, silently closing the door behind her. She went to stand next to him, not really knowing what else to do. It wasn't a common thing for Natsu to visit her – excluding that last time, but he had had his reasons.

"Hello, Lucy," the man greeted and Lucy stared at him for a hard minute. Had he just used her name?

He still wasn't looking at her and Lucy got the feeling that he didn't really want to be here. So why was he? Was his sister blackmailing him again?

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked softly, her curiosity getting the better of her when he didn't make a move to speak again.

She watched as his eyebrows tipped low as he let out a soft breath.

"I like looking up at the sky," he said, hand deep in his pockets. "There's something about it. The endless blue."

"You know that's not what I meant," Lucy folded her arms.

The pink-head smiles almost sheepishly at her tone, surprising Lucy only slightly. She was beginning to expect his bipolar tendencies. Natsu then turns to meet Lucy's eyes, then giving her a full body look. Lucy frowned as he did.

"You busy?" he asks and Lucy raises a golden brow.

"That depends."

Natsu's lips tilt upwards. "On?"

"Are you asking me because you're interested or because you're teasing me?"

Natsu scoffs at the question and she sees his bright eyes searching her brown ones, before he smiles fully. "What's the difference between being curious and teasing?"

"For starters; one gets you an answer," the blonde said, her patience starting to thin. He seems to take joy in the fact.

"Maybe I'm a bit of both?" he shrugs, an evil glint in his eyes.

Lucy feels her irritation spike at the teasing grin on his face. "Is there a point to this visit or did you just want to remind me how much of an egomaniac you still are, because if it is, trust me you've accomplished your goal."

Natsu continues to regard her with that infuriating grin, before he mercively turns and nods towards the woods.

"Go on a hike with me?"

Lucy's arms drop to her sides in surprise and she gives him a confused look. "What?"

"You heard me," he looks at her again.

Lucy hesitantly casts a look to the wood, before going back to Natsu, still not entirely sure what was going on. Did Lisanna tell him to take her hiking now? Hadn't they settled this whole thing last week?

"I'm not really good at the whole hiking thing. You found that out last week, remember?" Lucy reminded him, her voice hinting at her confusion on the situation. The boy only grins back at her.

"I'm not taking you up on the rocks. Just up the harmless part of the trail. You can handle it."

The blonde still wasn't buying it and gave him a skeptical look. "Did Lisanna refuse to tell you where your keys were?"

"No, she let me have them," he said slowly.

Lucy frowns at that. "Then...why are you here?"

At her question, Natsu looks away again and back to the woods, before saying, "I don't have a reason," he shrugged. "I just figured I'd stop over." His voice is clipped, closed off again. "If you're going to question everything, then just forget it."

Lucy looks at him, her eyes searching for any indication of what he might be planning, but finds that despite his ruff tone, he looks almost uncomfortable.

"Natsu...is this...an actual apology?" Lucy's eyes stay trained on him. "Cause if it is, then...thank you, I guess?"

Natsu turns fully to look at her, blinking once, slowly, like a cat assessing a dangerous situation. Lucy holds his stare. When he speaks again, his voice is more serious. "This isn't about Gajeel."

Lucy's mouth gapes slightly at his words, not expecting him to bring that afternoon up again. Had he thought she'd still be upset about that?

Natsu then turns away from her again.

"Anyway, are you coming with me or not? Because if you're not..." He doesn't bother finishing and just as Natsu starts to leave her porch, Lucy calls out to him.

"Wait! Hang on, I'll go on a hike with you." She wasn't sure why she did that, but once she did, she knew she wasn't going to take it back. She's not sure if she imagined it or not, but she sees the edge of Natsu's lip curve into a real smile then. When he turns back to her though, it's gone, but at least he isn't scowling again.

"Go get changed, kitten," he tells her. "I'll be waiting here for you."

Lucy nods slowly, still not understanding why she gave in yet. She shoots a glance over her shoulder as she walks back into the house. She sees Natsu turning to look back up at the sky, not noticing her curious peeping.

'Whatever this is about,' she thinks leaves him. 'I'd better be prepared.'

* * *

Upstairs, Lucy is checking herself out in her long, wardrobe mirror, wondering what she should wear.

Natsu said they were going hiking. She remembered how hard it had been for her walking through the woods the last time. She'd have to dress comfortably.

After going through all her clothes numerous times, Lucy eventually decides on an outfit consisting of a avy blue tank top and a cute, white mini-skirt that had three, pretty, brown buttons sewn in a row on one side. The last steps are putting on a pair of sneakers and tying her hair up into a high pony.

Once dressed, Lucy gives one last look at herself in the mirror. She looked good – maybe the skirt was a bit too fancy for a hiking trip, but they were light and breezy.

She'd never done this before, hiking. Well, excluding the last time, but it wasn't for the purpose of hiking so she didn't count it. She just hoped that this would be okay.

Grabbing a jacket on her way out, Lucy gave her self a mental pep talk as she made her way back outside to Natsu.

When he turns to see her walking out, a smile flickers across his handsome features.

"What?" Lucy asks, feeling nervous with his eyes on her like that. Had she dressed wrong after all?

Natsu shakes his head, eyes closing as he does, before looking at her again, a smirk now on his face.

"You really bring out your personality with your clothes, don't you?" he said, giving her a full body look.

Lucy blushed before he even finished looking, but she wasn't sure if he was complimenting her or teasing her. It was Natsu though, odds were usually in favor of teasing.

Clearing her throat, Lucy gave her hands something to do as she tied her jacket around her waist. "I didn't really know what to wear," she admitted. "I don't really go hiking, so yeah...should I change?"

When she looks up to him again, that smile appears once more as he chuckles at her question. The poor blonde blushes more to her dismay, going back to feeling annoyed again.

"You look good, kitten," Natsu chuckles. "That's all I meant."

Lucy wasn't sure what to make of that, getting a real compliment out of the brutish boy, but before she can think of a comeback or an embarrassed 'thank you', he speaks again.

"You ready to go?" Natsu asks, his expression gone back to void in a flash.

Lucy frowns at it in her awkward state, wondering how anybody can go through the motions so fast. She eventually sighs in defeat though and shrugs.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Out in the woods, that sense of peace washes over Lucy as she follows Natsu along the unfamiliar trails. Though she isn't sure, she's doesn't think this trail is the same one they took to the lake a week ago. There is a smidge of disappointment there, but Natsu had said they'd just be going hiking.

Her eyes kept glancing at his back every few minutes, feeling her anxiousness growing more and more with the longer they walked. Not once, since they entered the woods, had Natsu looked or spoken to her.

She wondered if he was also feeling awkward about this whole thing? She sure did anyway.

Lucy still wasn't sure why he had invited her out here at all. He'd gotten his keys back and he'd made it very clear that they weren't going to be friends. Yet here they were, hiking together – all be it in total silence. Still, they were hanging out in some sense. Did that mean he had changed his mind?

The blonde sighed at her jumbled thoughts, before looking back at the man's back again. She couldn't take the silence anymore. It was starting to drive her nuts.

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy broke the uncomfortable silence. If he wouldn't start a conversation, she would. "Where are we going?"

The pink haired man doesn't bother looking back at her and Lucy scowls at his back.

"You know, it would help my nerves if you would tell me where it is we're going," she grumbled. "How do I know that you're not leading me off to some creepy pit-stop or a killer meetup?"

"Still thinking I'm planning on killing you, kitten?" she heard his voice ask at last.

"You make it hard for me not to," she breathed out.

"We're not going too far off, I promise." He doesn't say more than that and Lucy wonders if he takes joy in being so mysterious.

Sighing, the girl nods and keeps concentrating on the ground again. "Okay, well, lead the way then, Natsu." She's surprised when he actually speaks up again.

"Getting out of the house is always nice. It's not like we're hiking all the way to Smoke Hole Canyon."

Lucy raises an eyebrow at the name. "You hike all the way there?" The very thought of going out that far has her breathless.

Natsu's shoulders lift in a quick shrug. Sometimes...you've been there before?"

She hadn't, but she'd seen some brochures about the area at the local grocery store. Unlike Natsu though, she expected that most people would have preferred to drive most of the way there.

"Nope, but I did read about it. I know it's really far off," Lucy answered, brushing back some stray hairs away from her forehead. Some sweat was slowly starting to build there and Lucy suddenly wished she had thought twice about coming along. Why couldn't Natsu invite her to go for a drive? There wasn't any sweat involved with driving.

She hears Natsu hum at that, but he doesn't say anything.

Lucy stays a couple of steps behind him as they walked along the trail. When a few more minutes go by without any further conversation, she feels a desperate need to break it again. It was starting to get awkward again.

"Is this another one of your special places?"

"Naw," her neighbor replies, no indication of any tiredness in his voice. "the locals know about this one, but it's still a pretty cool spot to hike to."

"Are we almost there?"

Natsu laughs amusingly at her whiny voice, but carries on leading the way. "Patience is key here. I promise it's not that far."

Lucy pouted at his vague answer and she didn't take too much comfort from it. She had a funny feeling that his idea of 'not that far' was way different than hers.

Watching her feet as she carefully stepped over the rocks and vines, Lucy decided to change the subject. "So is this what you do for fun? Hiking, I mean. Not leading innocent girls into the woods." She heard him huff at her words.

"You are a curious kitten, aren't you?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Can't you pick a better nickname?"

For the first time since they entered the woods, Natsu glancing back at her, an amused smirk on his face. "What? No one else has ever called you that before?" His voice is definitely teasing.

Lucy's brow twitches as she tries to ignore the strain of walking for so long. 'Why would he think that anyway?' She choices to ignore the question.

"I mean," the blonde sighs. "It's not the worst thing for someone to call me. You just make it sound so..."

"So… what?" he smirks over his shoulder at her again, Lucy meets it with an annoyed glare.

"I don't know, like it's an insult. Or something sexually deviant."

He turns away from her again, head tilting back as he laughs loudly. Lucy feels her muscles tense at the sound, legs twitching to kick him. Her aunt did give her permission after all.

Instead, Lucy grits out, "Why are you laughing at me?"

"I don't know, you just make me laugh." He says this, still laughing.

Lucy can't help but to blush angrily, before looking away from him. "Whatever." Eyes glaring at the ground, desperately searching for a new topic, before she ruined her vision her herself as a 'nice girl' and tore him a new one.

That's when she remembers something that had been bothering her for a few days. Looking back at him, cheeks still flushed, Lucy asked, "Hey, what's up with this Laxus dude? That Gajeel guy said something about him not liking you hanging around me?" She remembers that Gajeel guy bringing him up. Was he another friend of Natsu and Lisanna...or was he another family member? She wanted to ask about Gajeel too. The memory of his winking, pierced face had her shivering.

"He doesn't trust people, and by extension – you," Natsu answered, his voice still laced with amusement from earlier. Lucy took that as a good sign to continue.

"Trust me with what?" Lucy's eyebrow cocked up. "Your boyhood?"

Natsu snorts and Lucy can't help but smile too. "Yeah," he laughs. "He's not a fan of beautiful girls who have the hots for me."

Lucy almost stumbles at the tease, her smile slipping away instantly and her cheeks warm again as she glares at him. "I do NOT have the hots for you!" She refuses to backtrack to the fact that he had just called her beautiful. It was probably just his way of teasing her again.

Natsu pauses in his trek and turns to look at her with a playful glint in his eyes. "Liar." And that's all he says before he turns around and continues walking.

She so badly wants to kick him or say something witty back, but it's hard to think of something when her thoughts are as scattered as the branches on the ground. She can only keep walking behind him, her eyes forced to keep staring at the ground as she does.

"So," Natsu says after a few steps. "I came to a conclusion."

Embarrassment suddenly forgotten for the time being, Lucy's head bobs up at the sentence, a surprised look on her face. That was unexpected.

"Oh, you did?" she asks.

She doesn't know why her nerves only build higher in her stomach. It didn't matter what he decided to think of her, she'd still continue being Lisanna's friend no matter what – but...even though she found him impossibly infuriating, she had meant what she had told him at the lake. She really did want to be his friend too.

"I came to a conclusion that the most truly beautiful people are the ones unaware of their effect on others."

Lucy frowns in confusion at his words, wondering what it has to do with in this situation.

Natsu pauses again and turns to look at her, making Lucy stop too. She finds herself caught off by the intensity of his gaze, but wills herself not to look back at the ground.

Natsu regards her for a few seconds, before speaking again. "The ones that throw their beauty around? It's passing. They're empty shells, hiding shadows and sadness," he says this, as his gaze turns far away for a moment.

Lucy stares back at him with widened eyes, not understanding what it was he's trying to say.

"Natsu...what are you talking about?" She hadn't expected something so deep to come out of his mouth – not ever. This was Natsu – the rude, douche-y boy next door.

Natsu looks away from her then and Lucy almost thinks she sees a tinge of pink on his cheeks, but quickly throws the thought away. It was probably just his hair.

"See?" The pink-head sighs, almost tiredly. "You're doing it right now."

That's when it dawns on her.

Natsu was talking about her! He was actually giving her a genuine compliment. Did he really mean all that? Judging by the fact that he still wasn't looking at her, Lucy takes it as a yes and the thought bewilds her. Just how much more was he going to surprise her?

Lucy feels herself blush again, but this time, it isn't out of anger or frustration towards him. The sweetness and shock of it all overtakes her and before her better judgment can stop her, Lucy closes the distance between them.

She hears him let out a faint gasp when her arms wrap tightly around his waist and she presses her face into his chest. That smokey smell overpowers her senses again and she lets herself take it in this time. He's still stiff in her hold when he speaks up, his voice quiet and obviously surprised.

"What's with the hug, kitten?"

Lucy feels her cheeks grow all the more warmer at the sound of his low voice so close to her ears, but she still manages to keep her voice steady; "I don't know," she mumbled into his shirt. "I just...I wanted to thank you for saying such nice things to me."

To her surprise and slight relief, he laughs.

Natsu's laughter reverberates in his chest and then she feels his strong arms return her embrace.

"You must have really low standards if that's all it takes for you to give me a hug," he chuckles.

Ah – there it is, Lucy frowns, still blushing. He always finds a way to ruin the moment, doesn't he?

"My standards are perfectly fine," the blonde retorts and she feels his chest rumble with his laughter again.

"Say what you want, kitten. Go ahead and be impressed by my poetry." There's still traces of humor in his voice, but this time Lucy laughs too, despite herself, but that's all she does as she lets herself hug him a bit tighter.

He was a jerk, but she was still touched by what he said to her. For that, she supposed she could forgive him.

For a moment, the world around them was silent, before Lucy eventually pulls away from him, making sure to avoid his eyes as she does. Now that her face isn't hidden from his view, her embarrassment overtakes her quickly. She's shocked at herself for doing something so...familiar?

Still, she admittedly would have liked to hold on longer. Natsu was warm and his smell – even if it made her sound like some creepy chick – was highly alluring, but she was scared that if she held on any longer, she might have ended up doing something stupid – like sniff his neck. The thought alone had her blush grew hotter.

Who knew that the smell of burning wood would be so appeasing?

The two walk in silence again, until the Sereca Rocks eventually come into view. The only reason Lucy knew what they were was thanks to the brochure she had looked at before.

"We're here," Natsu announces and walks closure to a large cliff area. Lucy follows behind, before stopping too, her eyes taking in the view before them, widening in awe as she does. The brochure had nothing on the actual thing.

"Wow," the blonde grins. "So these are the Seneca Rocks, huh?" She says as she looks ahead of her. "I didn't expect them to be so...uh, rocky." She turns to see Natsu move to stand beside her, a grin of his own stretched over his lips.

"Yeah," he says, looking out at the huge mountains of majestic landscape. "But it's pretty cool, right?'

Lucy nods, smiling up at him, before looking back at mountains. It was no magic lake, but there was still something amazing about it. It almost made up for the pain in her feet. The reminder of how tired her body was, had the girl look around for somewhere to sit down. She eventually decides on a large rock laying near by. Walking over to it, she feels Natsu's eyes follow her as she sits down on the warm rock, sighing happily as she does.

"Tired?" she looks up to see the pink-haired man smirking down at her.

Lucy bashfully smiles back. "What gave me away?"

Natsu lets out a breathy laugh, before walking over to her. He doesn't join her on the rock, but he does stand close enough to it that she can easily look up at see his face. He leans his back against a stubby tree near her and then looks back out at the view. Lucy joins him.

"You know it stretches for a number of miles past this." Natsu voices. "The rocks, I mean."

Lucy gives him a look. "You...you didn't want to walk the whole way, did you?" Her legs were still begging for rest.

Natsu shakes his head, to her relief, and meets her stare. "No, I just wanted to bring you here to...think." His voice becomes uncertain and Lucy catches it.

"Think?"

Natsu nods again, before looking back out at the view. "This land was traveled by the indigenous Seneca people. It's how the rocks got their name."

Lucy eyes him, before a small smile starts to grow on her face. "Are you...giving me a history lesson?"

Who would have thought; Natsu was not only a poet, but also a historian!

Natsu rolled his eyes at her tease, before looking back down at her and shrugs. "I'm telling you this, because I thought you'd be interested in the town's history."

The way he says it, Lucy can't help but wonder if there's more to his motives. When she doesn't say anything, Natsu continues talking.

"Hundreds of years ago, this land used to be nothing but forest and hills," he says, dark eyes staring out at the landscape. "It could take days or even weeks before you'd reach your nearest neighbor. The tribes that traveled through the eastern United States walked this very trail."

Natsu shoots a look back in the direction of where the two of them had come from and Lucy turns her head to do the same.

"The small path behind our houses curls around to the farthest side of the Seneca Rocks," he says. "It's fun to walk if you're not afraid of falling."

Lucy still looks at the trail, trying to imagine it all.

"You know..." Natsu starts and there's something different in his voice that has the blonde looking back up at him. He meets it thoughtfully. "When the Seneca tribe was here...they had a very romantic legend that involved these rocks."

Lucy's brow raised at that. "Romantic?" she repeats, surprised that he'd bring something like that up. 'Huh, so Natsu also had a secret romantic side?' She can't help but to tease him about it, a little payback for all the times he did her.

Grinning cheekily up at the pink-haired man, Lucy tilts her head slightly as she stares at him. "I never expected you to be a romantic. Was that your plan? Lure me out here to woo me?"

Natsu rolls his eyes at her and Lucy giggles.

"I'm not going to make bedroom eyes at you or anything," he grunts. "So you can relax."

Lucy doesn't let herself think about Natsu's bedroom eyes. She just couldn't go there right now.

"Fine," the blonde smiles. "Tell me the story."

Natsu smirks at her then, before saying; "Once upon a time" - Lucy snorts at the phrase. "There was a beautiful, warrior princess named Snowbird," he continued and Lucy was grateful that his tone went back to being more serious. "Every man wanted to marry her, but she didn't care for wealth or power. What she wanted was an equal."

Lucy blinked up at him. "That's understandable." Natsu nods, before continuing.

"One day, seven suitors came to ask for her hand in marriage. Seven suitors and she asked all of them to climb the tallest rock in the valley with her."

Lucy's eyes widened at the request, her body moving to fully turn to him.

"Four turned back," Natsu frowned. "The fifth feigned an injury and left. The sixth climbed halfway and gave up. Only the seventh suitor climbed with her; steadfast and strong."

Natsu's voice went more thoughtful and distant as he went on with the story.

"Snowbird easily gets to the top of the rock and there she looks back to find the seventh warrior struggling. He climbs and climbs, but his muscles are weak and his bones tired. Still, he keeps climbing – refusing to give up in body and spirit." He pauses to look at her.

Lucy meets his thoughtful look.

"Would would you do if you were the princess?"

Lucy blinks in surprise at the question.

"This man is not you're equal," Natsu says, his eyes never leaving her. "You climbed this rock with ease, but he? He keeps stumbling. What do you do?"

Lucy stares at Natsu for a long moment. Why was he asking her this? She tried to imagine herself in the princess's position. She wondered what she would do in that situation. Her eyes closed as she put herself in the warrior girl's shoes and when she opened them, her words were honest.

"I'd save him."

Natsu's intense stare shifts and he smiles at her, but there's a strange look his eyes that she can't place. Lucy wants to believe it's admiration.

"I'm not surprised that you'd save him," he says, before pausing briefly. "But would you marry him?"

Lucy's brows furrow. "Uhm, yeah?"

This time, Natsu does look surprised. "Really? Why?"

Lucy tucks a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "Because," she shrugs lightly. "He didn't give up on me. The other so-called warriors just half-assed the task, but this guy fought to the very end." She then pushes herself back onto her feet and twirls to smiles up at the pink-haired boy. "Besides, how beautiful can you be if you don't see this man's inner strength?"

Natsu continues to stare at her in mild shock, before a low chuckle escapes his lips once more. He then follows her lead and pushes away from the tree, but instead of standing still, he moves closer to her. Lucy's eyes widen at the action, but doesn't move away as the distance between them only gets smaller and smaller. He stops when his chest is almost touching her and Lucy automatically tilts her head backwards to stiffly meet his eyes.

They're standing so close that the blonde can practically hear his heartbeat – though that could still be hers.

When he speaks again, Lucy can feel his breath on her and she flushes instantly, trying with great effort to keep from focusing on it.

"N-Natsu-" Lucy stutters, but he beats her to it.

"What if I told you that the warrior was a wishy-washy, hot and cold, complete jerk," Natsu whispers, his tone is teasing again, but there's something still so distance in his voice.

Lucy doesn't turn her gaze from him as she asks the question that flies through her mind. "Wait...are you talking about yourself?"

Natsu smiles at her, a small tilt of his lips, but Lucy can't help but stare at it.

"I'm not flirting with you or anything. I'm just curious since you said you'd save and marry the warrior," he says and Lucy tears her eyes away from those smiling lips to meet his eyes again. "I just like to see how your mind works."

The blonde's eyebrows furrow at the reasoning, her eyes watching as his own dark ones cloud again.

"But what if...what if the warrior isn't a perfect guy? What if he's...not a good person at all?"

Lucy swallows. "I'd still rescue him. "Her voice is soft, but strong – certain. That smile of his – the real one – appears on his face and he nods faintly, his eyes never leaving her own. Even still, she feels like something's off.

"You're too good of a person," Natsu sighs, before taking a step away from her. Lucy watches as he does, her heartbeat still beating too fast that can be considered healthy. In a more serious voice, Natsu adds; "Either way, Snowbird saved him. She decided that the warrior was her equal, grabbed the man before he could fall and married him."

Lucy smiles despite her nerves. "A happy ending." As more of a move to ease the atmosphere and allow her a moment to calm herself, Lucy turns to look back at the mountains ahead of them. It takes a minute, before she manages to speak again. "Can you get to where they climbed from here?" she asks the first thing she can think of, before turning to see her neighbor shake his head.

"The canyon's like eight miles that way? Maybe ten," he points to the right – the opposite of where they'd come from. "Some serious hiking, that. Not something I'd suggest doing alone."

Lucy smiles bashfully, happy for the new topic. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about that." She turns to step over a large rock, putting her foot in the soft dirt and then focuses on the view, making sure not to get too close to the cliff's edge. "By the way, that legend." She looks back at him. "You seem to really like it. Why?"

Natsu blinks at her, before looking at the distance ahead of her. "I like it because, well, I find it complicated. I guess in some ways, I relate to the seventh warrior…." All of a sudden, Natsu's eyes darken as he narrows them in her direction. " _Kitten_..."

Lucy sighs again at the name. "Will you  _please_  stop calling me that."

"Be quiet," Natsu orders under his breath and Lucy frowns. She's about to ask why, when he suddenly reaches out for her and pulls her to him, holding her protectively.

The blonde's eyes widen in shock and forces them to look up at the tall man. Natsu's body is tense again, but the look on his face has her go cold. His jaw is clenched tight and those dark eyes are glaring out in the distance.

"Natsu?" Lucy questions, her voice softer. "What is it?"

He doesn't look down at her. "Lucy, I'm being serious. Keep quiet."

The fact that he actually used her name this time only makes her more worried. That's when she hears it…

Something like a growl echoes behind her and Lucy snaps her head around to see the animal that caused the sound, only too gasp in horror.

"T-that's a bear." She feels Natsu's hold on her tighten as she feels her own body tense up. She'd never seen a bear before in real life. It was  _huge_.

It's muscles move under the heavy coat of brown fur. The animal's eyes watch them as it approaches, stilling for a moment.

And then it moves closer, stepping under rays of light that break through the trees ahead.

"Don't run," Natsu's voice is impossibly calm for the situation, but his hold in her doesn't loosen. Something she's grateful for, as she thinks she might collapse any minute. Just as Natsu says that, however, the bear has a different plan.

It charges – a threatening growl erupting from it's jaws –

Lucy lets out a scream and the next thing she knows, is a feeling of pure heat coming over her.

Searing, burning heat courses through her as a blinding light shines in her eyes.

And then the world goes black.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy runs into some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Sorry for the late update - I went on a three week holiday (^^) Next time, I'll warn you guys if the next chapter will take longer than a week.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter 6 - the longest chapter so far! (My eyes are so sore from trying to finish it up)
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think.
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes in spelling, it was done in a rush. Try and brave through it ;)
> 
> Thanks for all the previous chapter's comments. I was so happy to see them. You guys are awesome!
> 
> Enjoy!

 

* * *

There's nothing but darkness.

No noise or whispers sound as Lucy slowly starts achieve consciousness.

'I'm tired. So...tired,' Lucy moans quietly. Her eyes are still closed as she struggles to fight off falling back into a deep slumber. She's only vaguely aware of the world around her that won't light up. She still hears nothing. In the darkness, however, she smells something strange. It's something metallic but not like blood...more like energy and electricity, if that makes any sense.

Lucy's struggles to keep herself from going out again, her thoughts trying to clear themselves at the same time.

That's when she remembers;

'There was a bear,' the blonde's eyes clench tightly at the memory. 'A bear came and attacked me and Natsu...but did it really attack us?' She didn't feel any pain. Had it killed them?

'Am I dead?'

The thought scares her and then the blonde's mind quickly shifts to her missing neighbor.

'Natsu. Where's Natsu?'

As these thoughts drift in and out of her confused and frightened mind, she suddenly hears it: the roll of thunder rattling in the distance as the earthly scent of warm soil and rain fills her senses.

The heavy drumming of raindrops pulls her back into the real world and she finally wakes up. Big, brown, unfocused eyes blink open to find herself….

"Home," Lucy blinks in confusion, taking in the familiar yard. "I'm home?"

The familiar yard and garden in front of her answers her question. She was outside her aunt's house, sitting on the front porch and sheltered by the extension of the roof, as the dark summer rain storms above her. Funny enough, despite the cold weather, she was completely warm. It felt like a heated blanket was wrapped around her.

She takes it all in for a long, hazy, uncertain moment, before moaning at the ache in her head.

"How did I even get here?" she whispers to herself, her head still foggy and tired. Something like a groan sounds above her and the blonde girl freezes. For the first time since she woke up, she realizes she's not alone. Full senses finally kick in as Lucy looks up, only to see the missing boy. "Natsu?"

Her voice was soft as she looks up in shock at the pink-haired man. It didn't take a second longer to realize why she was so warm. Natsu was leaning against the walls of her house, close to the front door. She was lying across his chest, with one of his arms draped over her protectively. Natsu was holding her.

Lucy couldn't help but blush a dark crimson as she examined their bodies. Her heart seizes at this realization as she listens to the thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat. How did they even get here? What happened to the bear? Had she feinted after all? Did Natsu carry her all the way back?

Lucy's mind runs crazy with all her questions, her heart fluttering with nerves at being so close to the man. Her attention is brought back up to his face when another soft groan leaves his lips. She notices that he isn't awake yet – a blessing on it's own – and yet, as he sleeps, she can't help but notice that…

'Even while he sleeps, he seems troubled,' Lucy thinks. She can't stop herself when she reaches up to gently skim the side of his face. She only hesitates for a mere moment, before her fingers make contact. His skin is ruff, but warm – impossibly so for this type of weather and she instantly fears that he might have a fever. He isn't sweating though and he still looks healthy, so she tucks that worry away. Her eyes watch as he grimaces in his sleep and her eyes turn worried.

'I wonder what darkness haunts him to the point that even while asleep, he can't escape it...'

For a brief moment, she frames the side of his face with her hand, before slowly pulling away. He lets out another sound as she does and Lucy feels her heart clench. She wants to help him.

The thought doesn't surprise her as much as she thought it would. By now, she knew that she didn't hate the man – she never really did, she just didn't like the way he treated her or Lisanna. Over the small amount of time, though, she's seen a better side to him. Whether that side was fake or not, she wasn't sure, but she liked to believe it was real. And, like his sister...deep down, Natsu was probably hurting too.

She's seen the carefully distant-guarded looks he held when they hung out, only cracking on rare moments. Was it all to do with their parents? Embolded by these thoughts, Lucy settles herself back onto his chest and wraps her arms around him.

He might not like her – or ever open up to her her, but she knew pain. A part of her was broken after her mother's death. Maybe Natsu was just broken too. Maybe he just didn't know how to deal with it. She could relate to that and maybe – in this small moment – she could help him rest.

"It'll be alright, Natsu," Lucy whispers into his chest. "It gets better."

As if hearing her words, Lucy feels Natsu's arm around her pull her to him just a little tighter. She smiles at the action, before snuggling her head under his chin, her hand moving to rest on his chest, while his arm curves around her waist. That feeling of warmth intensifies and the blonde sighs softly against him. She can't even feel the cold air or chill of the rain.

Just as she starts to doze off once more, safe and warm in Natsu's embrace, she hears the deep baritone of his voice.

"Rise and shine, kitten."

Once again, Lucy's eyes flutter open and looks up to see the deep, dark of his eyes reflecting down on hers. "You're awake," she states dumbly, not sure what else there was to say in this type of situation. Her eyes are unable to turn away from his surprisingly soft ones. She was so close to them. She could even see the gold flicks around his pupils, mesmerizing her further.

The pink-haired boy's brows narrow in confusion at her. "You're not upset?"

Lucy blinks at that. "Why would I be upset?"

She feels Natsu huff softly at her confused tone, before his gaze leaves hers and flickers out towards the rain. "I thought for sure, you'd push me away or something after waking up." There's an almost invisible tinge of pink powdered over his cheeks and Lucy can't seem to pull her eyes away from it.

Natsu was  _blushing._  She found it strangely endearing.

It takes her a moment to register his words before the blonde replies. "Well, I didn't."

"Why?" Natsu looks at her again and Lucy bites her lip nervously at his confused expression. Had she been weird in not pulling away? She hadn't really thought about the after affect. A mistake, now that she really thought about it. "Kitten?"

The sound of his deep voice makes her blush more – even if it involved the stupid nick name – before giving him a tiny, unsure shrug. "Because..." Lucy paused, unsure of herself. "You looked like you needed the rest. I didn't want to wake you."

She's ready to hide her face in embarrassment, when a shade of a smile crosses Natsu's lips, before he looks at her with a soft sort of fondness. It makes Lucy's chest tighten for reasons she'd rather not think about.

"You're a weird one, kitten. A really weird one."

Lucy bites back the embarrassed retort rising in her chest. She manages to tear her eyes away from him, before her face got any redder. She didn't pull away from the embrace – neither did Natsu remove her. She didn't say anything about it either, too busy enjoying the warmth he somehow gave off.

Minutes pass by and she's focused on the pidder patter of the rain when her thoughts from earlier return.

"So...what happened?"

Natsu doesn't seem very bothered when he asks, "What do you remember?"

Lucy swallows as her mind goes back to what seemed like just a moment ago. "We were attacked by a bear and then there was this bright light…." She sees Natsu nod in the corner of her eyes, before he sighs.

"The shock of seeing the bear charge at you must've overwhelmed you, because you passed out."

Lucy looks up at him then. "And that bright light?"

Natsu holds her stare. "What bright light?"

The silence hums between them then, charged with the power from the storm and the mysterious way Natsu was looking down at her. The blonde's mouth opens and closes in her confusion. "There...there was a light. A very bright light, shining out of the blue." Her voice sounds like she's almost trying to convince herself she hadn't imagined it. She couldn't have, right?

Just then, lightning flashes across the sky and thunder blooms in the distance. Lucy jumps in his hold at the sound, but he easily keeps her there.

His voice is calm as he speaks. "I guess that answers your question then, kitten." Lucy looks at him again. He meets it. "That light you saw? Must have been lightning before the storm came."

Lucy's brow curls in confusion, her head turned to the dark, droopy sky.

"Oh, uhm...that...I guess that makes sense." It did, didn't it? "But, what happened to the bear?" She feels him shrug underneath her.

"It just sorta ran off. The lightning must have scared it away."

Lucy stares longer, before frowning thoughtfully. "Yeah, but...why would a bear be scared of lightning?"

Natsu hums at that, before shrugging again. "Doesn't matter. What does matter is that it got scared and ran off. Which is good, because when you passed out, I had to carry you back here."

She feels his hold subconsciously tighten. Lucy wasn't sure if he realized he did either. She swallows nervously at the action though, her blush slowly returning to dust her cheeks. "All the way?"

Natsu chuckles and Lucy tilts her head up to look at him, only slightly annoyed that he was laughing at her.  _Again._

"No," the boy smirks. "I dragged you through the mud half of the trip and then pushed you up the rest of the way." Lucy frowned at him, unamused. He grinned right back. "Of course I carried you all the way. You're here aren't you?"

The blonde's eyes lowered as she nodded small, letting go of her annoyance for now. "You're right, I'm...just surprised. Sorry." She lifts her gaze back to him. "Though I don't know why, I guess, it's just hard to shake off your mean boy persona from my memory."

Natsu's expression falters then. Lucy watches as he sighs softly, before nodding thoughtfully at her response. He then reaches over and gently pushes some stray hair from her face. Lucy blushes at the random action, but doesn't avoid it. She watches as his eyes lower on her for a brief moment, before whispering; "Well...have some faith in me, all right? I'm not all terrible, I promise."

Lucy bites her lip, wishing that she didn't feel as nervous as she was right now.

"How are you feeling, by the way?" his tone more easy-going.

'Embarrassed.' is what the girl wants to say, her anger at herself growing. Instead, she says; "I'm just a bit tired." It was true, to be fair and her headache hadn't left yet either. "I don't know if I want a massage or a nap."

Natsu's laughter is quiet as he looks down at her with a single, mischievously raised eyebrow. Lucy can't help but smile too. "A nap does sound amazing," he chuckles. "Bear attacks take a lot out of a guy."

The blonde smirks at that part. "What attack? Didn't you just stand there as it ran away?" She squeaks a second after her tease, when she feels him pinch her hip. Lucy instantly feels the blood return to her cheeks at the action. When she looks up at him again to glare, he's smirking again.

"I still had to carry you all of the way here, didn't I?" the pink-head reminds with a confidently proud tone that only makes the girl blush harder. Dark-colored eyes bare down over her body quickly, before adding; "You're crazy heavy, kitten."

Lucy's mouth falls open in astonishment, before struggling against him to sit up – regrettably away from the smoldering heat – and then making to smack him. Natsu sees it coming though and is quick to catch her hands with his own, laughing as the poor blonde struggles in his strong grip.

"Easy-easy! It was a joke!"

Lucy only continues to thrust her arms, more out of embarrassed than of anger, but stops short when lightning strikes again and thunder crackles close behind it. Despite the storming rain and the chaos of the storm, the world seems to grow silent. Lucy's body relaxes as the pounding sound drums down and she feels Natsu do the same beneath her, his hold falling away from her hands and back down to her waist. The don't en-lock her this time though and she wonders if he thinks she's move away if he does. She doesn't think she would.

Still, his presence is still there with Lucy leaning into his chest once more and the comfort of it all floods back to her as she looks out into the distance. In the midst of this crazy, hectic world is a moment of peace with her and Natsu at it's center. She cringes at the corny thought, but it doesn't have her pushing away from him.

'It's weird,' Lucy thinks absentmindedly. 'Why is my heart beating so fast right now?'

Natsu must have sensed her willingness somehow, because as her heartbeat continues to hammer, he pulls her closer to him again. Lucy's gaze is instantly back on him, her brown eyes catching those dark-intense eyes once more. She doesn't look away, not until he reaches up and softly caresses her face lightly and Lucy can't help but let her eyes flutter closed.

She feels him encircle her waist once more too, embracing her tightly. 'What are we doing?'

Natsu's voice stops her from continuing with that last thought.

"The most beautiful people are the ones unaware of their effect on others." His voice is a whisper again and Lucy opens her eyes to see him looking at her with a complicated look.

"Natsu..."

For a brief moment, it feels like all the air in the world has vanished. She's breathless and dizzy and intoxicated by Natsu's over-bright eyes and the scent of smoke and lightning. Natsu's eyes flicker down to her lips and Lucy swallows at the look he gives her afterwards.

"How about you be a little reckless for a little longer, kitten?" Natsu whispers down at her, his eyes locking her own.

Lucy's voice is a bit shaky as she answers; "Reckless?"

He nods faintly. "Yeah, reckless. Just this once...I want to be reckless."

Lucy's brow furrows at the words. 'What does he -'

"Let me kiss you."

Lucy's eyes widen – at the same time that her heart pounds rapidly in her chest. Her tongue feels numb as she tries to bring herself to answer him, but what could she possibly say to that? Did she want Natsu to kiss her?

Natsu's hold on her tightens even more as he watches her, the mischievousness in his eyes returning. Somehow, it only makes the blonde blush more. She can't move her body as the pink-haired man inches his face closer to hers and Lucy can only breath in at the action. His nose grazes her own and she can feel his hot breath on her lips as he speaks.

"If you don't say anything, I'm just gonna do what I like, kitten."

Lucy makes a soft, murmuring sound, but it's all she can manage right now. She's finding it hard to breath normally.

"Say yes, Lucy."

And Lucy's mind goes blurry at the sound of her name in that deep, husky voice. She feels herself give the barest of nods.

A flash of surprise appears in Natsu's eyes at her consent and in that moment, she also sees hesitation. Why?

"Are you sure?" His voice is still alluring, despite the unsure tone and Lucy finds it an unfair advantage on his part. She searches his eyes, surprised and admittedly a little amused to see that the hesitance is reflected there too. She smiles almost playfully up at him.

"What happened to 'reckless'?" Her voice still comes out breathless, but Lucy doesn't regret speaking up. As if drawing strength form her words, Natsu smirks faintly and Lucy wills herself not to stare too obviously at the inviting sight of those lips. He's leaning close again and her eyes slip closed.

The closer he gets to her, the faster her heart beats, until the world around them goes completely black – unimportant. At least, that's what she expected to feel when his lips met hers….but they never do. Instead, he hovers mere centimeters away as if some deep, dark fear is keeping his lips from her own.

Lucy blinks up in worry at him, the heaty haze of the moment wavering in his resistance. "Natsu? What's wrong?" Instead of answering, Natsu pulls back and Lucy exhales in disappointment before she can stop herself.

"Hey, don't make that face," Natsu's calmer voice says. Lucy doesn't get a chance to speak, when he suddenly leans back down to her again. She inhales sharply and closes her eyes when she feels Natsu's warm lips press gently to her temple. It's a sweet kiss, a lingering kiss, a kiss of promise that wants to be kept – and when it ends, she's left just as breathless.

When she finds the strength to look up at him again, there's a sad look in his eyes. She's seen it before – that distant, faraway look. She can't help but wonder what darkness haunts the boy she's expected to hate.

"I'm sorry, Lucy."

Lucy watches confused as Natsu pulls away fully from her, leaving a gap of emptiness between them. It's a small distance, but it still leaves her feeling cold without his source of heat to warm her. She wants to reach out to him – to say something, but her words seem jumbled in her mind.

He isn't looking at her anymore, but she can still remember those sad eyes and she hates how confused this whole situation makes her – even more so that he won't share with her.

"Natsu...I -"

"Hey, guys! I'm back!"

Lucy and Natsu turn to see Lisanna grinning as she enthusiastically steps out of her car. Lucy hadn't even heard the car drive in and she feels herself tense awkwardly as she stares back wide-eyed at the smiling girl. How long had she even been standing over there? Had Lisanna seen them about to...Lucy blushes at the thought.

The thundering storm has melted away into a light pour – another thing Lucy had failed to notice. By the time Lisanna comes to a stop at her porch...the rain has completely stopped. Only trickles of random drops appear in different areas. Lucy casts a quick, confused look up at the sky in wonder. This town really does have strange weather.

Lisanna's radiant smile seems to brighten up her aunts damp garden, her glittering happy eyes sobering as she takes the two of them in.

"What's up? Both of you look a little..." She trails off before her eyes widen with recognition, which quickly turns to mischief. Lucy stiffens at the sight. "Did I just walk in on something?"

Lucy feels her heart race at the implication and rushes to find something to say. "Uhm, ah...welcome back!" Her voice comes out too chirpy and Lucy internally cringes at the sound of it. 'Smooth, Lucy. Smooth.'

Lisanna eyes the blonde girl with a skeptical look, before slowly replying; "Um, thanks. Glad to be back." She stands there for a moment longer, just staring at her friends, before turning to look at her brother. "Well, what are you doing here, Natsu?"

Lucy can't help but peek over at the boy, her chest still filled with nerves. He doesn't smile as he answers his sister. "Just earning bonus points." His voice is nonchalant, as if everything that happened before Lisanna showed up never happened.

Lucy's expression turns worried as she looks at him. He doesn't return the gaze and she sighs silently. The bad-boy-next-door is back as he stands up and walks past her, towards his sister. Lucy can only watch in silence.

Natsu's voice is easy-going as he approaches her, body language just as carefree. "Got any ice cream?" he asks boredly when he's standing next to the silver-haired girl.

Lisanna scowls up at him, almost exasperatedly. "I didn't go to the market, Natsu! And even if I did, there's no ice cream for you – you never share!"

Natsu only laughs before he reaches over and ruffles his sister's pretty, silver hair and she squeals at the action, ducking away from his 'attack.' "Natsu!"

The pink-head chuckles as he ambles back towards his house. Lucy's eyes follow him as he does, noticing that not once does he look back at her. 'He didn't...he didn't even bother to say goodbye.'

No longer than two minutes later, does she hear the door to his house sound shut. As soon as it does, Lisanna turns back to her with a serious look on her face.

"Okay. So what really happened?"

Lucy slowly looks back at her friend, her throat clenching as she did. She struggles to find a good lie, but the insistent look in the other girl's eyes stops her short and she sighs in defeat. "What happened was...just me being reckless."

Both of Lisanna's eyebrows go up as she blinks slowly at the blonde. "Lucy?"

The blonde shakes her head, pushing down the unwanted feelings boiling up in her chest. What was the point in focusing on them anyway? This whole thing was just so confusing and she didn't want to deal with it. She waves her hand as if doing so will erase the strangeness of everything that had just happened.

Had she really almost _kissed_  Natsu – and  _wanted_  to?

Lucy pushes the thought down. Looking back at her female neighbor and giving her a soft smile, Lucy changes the subject. "How was the visit with your family?"

Lisanna still gives her an unconvinced look, but eventually decides not to push it. Instead, she shrugs and says; "It was productive. Nothing I really wanted to do, but it had to be done before school started." A nervous, almost ashamed look washes over her features again. "Lucy, I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you. It was just so sudden."

Lucy sighs at the familiar apology, before pushing herself up on her feet and dusting off her legs. "It's totally understandable, I told you – I'm not mad. It was just a bummer not having you around. I missed you."

She watches as Lisanna smiles in relief back at her, before the pretty girl hums thoughtfully. "Well," Lisanna hums. "Did you have fun while I was away at least? I hope Natsu at least tried to be pleasant after he got his keys back. I almost considered keeping them until I got back."

Lucy bites her lip at that. "Oh no, he did. It's just…"

"Just?" Lisanna frowns worriedly.

Sighing again, Lucy looks at the other girl. "Lisanna, did you...never mind," she stops short and shakes her head. "I think I'm still just a bit out of it from earlier."

Lisanna tilts her head slightly. "What happened earlier?" Lucy tenses.

"Don't freak out, we're both fine….but," she eyes the way Lisanna was looking at her nervously. "We just got back from a hike before you got here."

One silver eyebrow raises in confusion and Lucy continues.

"We were attacked by a bear." 'There,' Lucy thinks. 'Quick – just like a band-aid.'

"A bear!?"

'Maybe too quick.'

Lucy nods and smiles reassuringly at the shocked girl. "Relax, we're fine. No injuries, see?" She gestures to her frame. "I don't know a lot about what happened though, apparently I passed out and Natsu carried me home."

Lisanna falls quiet as she stares at her with a curious expression. Lucy watches her with a hint of nerves. "L?"

Lisanna snaps out of it then and clears her throat. "Sorry, I was just wondering if maybe we should get you guys to a doctor. Just to be sure...how'd you escape anyway?"

Lucy relaxes, smiling at the silver girl. "No, really, we're fine. Just a bit in shock, maybe. The bear ran away after I passed out. Natsu said it was because of lightning," Lucy's lips purse. "It's weird though, I didn't think bears would be afraid of those kinds of things..." Lisanna shrugs.

"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters," Lisanna states with her model-worthy smile. "Do you need anything? I'm gonna go up to the market and get some groceries."

Lucy shakes her head at the offer. "I'm good, but I might sleep for two whole days. I'm exhausted."

The silver-head girl laughs. "Not a strong hiker?"

Lucy bashfully giggles back. "Guilty," she admits, before sighing. "I'll see you later? I really want to hear about your trip."

"Me too," Lisanna smiles excitably. "I want to hear everything."

As Lucy watches the girl climb back into her car, she keeps her smile on. She wasn't sure that she really wanted to tell her everything. Her brown eyes give one look at the other house, before turning to her own door.

* * *

 

The next day had Lucy hanging out in her living room with Lisanna. It's the early afternoon now and her aunt was still at the hospital. Aqua had promised to get some more time off before Lucy had to go to school, but Lucy didn't want to hold her to that promise – being a nurse was a demanding job after all and it wasn't like she was all alone at the house anymore.

It was nice to have Lisanna back home – Lucy had missed the calming girl talk more than she realized. However, with how their current conversation was going, Lucy was starting to wish that they had opted to watch a movie instead.

"Let me get this straight. You have  _no_  idea where you want to go to college?" The silver-haired girl almost sounded insulted, like Lucy had done some horrible, unspeakable crime.

The two friends were sitting comfortably on the wooden floor, a collection of college brochures draped over the small, living room table. Lisanna had brought them, leading up to Lucy confessing the very thing her only friend found hard to believe.

Lucy could just smile shamefully, but when it was met with an astonished look from the girl, she let it fade. Sighing, Lucy leaned her head backwards onto the couch seat behind her. "You sound just like my aunt," she groans. Aqua had bombarded her with similar questions during her first few days here – only to be disappointed with Lucy's lack of interest. Now that she had to hear it from her friend, it only made the blonde feel more pathetic. Lisanna didn't seem to have any sympathy for her.

"But you're entering senior year! How can you not know?" Lisanna gaped out, setting down the brochure she had been previously been reviewing.

"There's a lot of options!" Lucy groaned again, in hopes of defending herself. "It's hard to narrow down."

To her surprise, Lisanna seemed to beam up then, clasping her hands together in excitement.

"There's tons of resources at school! I can take you down to the career office!"

Lucy rolls her head to face the happy girl, a wobbly smile on her face. "I'd rather do my own research, thanks though. I just don't really want a counselor asking me a bunch of personal questions."

"Don't you guys start applying once school starts?"

Both girls jump at the unexpected voice, before turning to see Aquarius casually walking into the room. Lucy had kept the door open to let some fresh air come in so she didn't even hear her enter the house.

"Aqua?" Lucy relaxes into a smile and goes back to leaning her back against the couch. "You're home early. The hospital slow tonight?" Honestly, Lucy would have figured that the hospital would be slow every night with how small the town was, but apparently it wasn't the case.

Her aunt scoffs as she takes off her coat and hangs it on the rack near the front door. "As if," she turns back to look at them, her brows furrowed in her annoyance. "No, but there aren't any level one surgeries so they let me off – but as always, I'm on call." Her eyes then land on the frigging Lisanna and she smiles. "Lisanna, good to see you again. I take it you're doing well?"

Lucy looked at the silver-head in surprise when Lisanna bumps her knee on the coffee table as she scrambles to sit up straight.

"M-Miss Waters, h-hello. I'm so sorry for disturbing. You have a beautiful home!"

Aquarius's eyes are as wide as Lucy's own confused ones, before she blinks slowly and smiles politely again. "Relax, I'm happy that my niece has found somebody else to bother. You're actually doing me a favor."

"Hey..." Lucy sends her aunt a frown – Aqua only smiles cheekily in return. Lucy would fight back, but her aunt's remark seems to relax Lisanna, so she lets it go for now.

Aquarius smiles in victory, before walking over to the stairs, her handbag still hanging over her shoulder.

"I'll let you girls be," the blue-haired nurse said as she passed them. "If you need me, I'll be reintroducing myself to the bubble bath."

Lucy raises a skeptical brow at her aunt's back. "You're not going to join in on lecturing me about my future?" Her aunt really must be tired….

"Not this time." Aquarius smirks over her shoulder at the two girls. "Anyway, I think Lisanna can handle my dear scatter-brained niece. I'll take the next round."

Lucy frowns again at the tease and sinks further against the couch. "Gee, thanks auntie."

Lisanna giggles lightly beside her and Aqua gives the silverette a wink before turning away.

Lucy watches grumpily as her aunt disappears upstairs, before shifting her focus back to her friend. Lisanna is still smiling, this time more admirably in the direction of the stairs, before catching Lucy's curious eyes and then immediately looks down at her lap, blushing prettily. Lucy smiles at the cute action.

"You alright?" the blonde asks when she hears the whisper of water running upstairs. "I know she seems tough and all, but Aqua's pretty gooey inside."

Lisanna giggles as she looks up again, before saying; "I've always liked your aunt. She was always so nice to me."

Lucy nods understandably and the two fall into a comfortable silence.

"...So...about college?"

Lucy groans.

"You're not getting out of it that easily," the silver-head states with a smile. "You should have been applying all summer! The deadlines are in October and November, for the most part."

"I know..." Lucy sighs softly.

"I mean, if you really want to push it, some schools let you wait until January or Feb..."

"That sounds like a hassle," Lucy hums. "Everything's moving too fast." Too fast.

Lisanna Scotches closer to the blonde girl, moving so that her lithe body is also leaning against the couch. "I know it sounds super scummy to make us choose so fast, but that shouldn't stop you from applying. At least if you apply to a few, you can decide on which of the ones you got into – equaling less stress for later."

Lucy pouts, knowing Lisanna was probably right, but her disinterest still remained strong. You'd think that she'd be ecstatic about going off to college – be able to go somewhere far away and on her own terms, but it was a huge decision. Something that was a bit too overwhelming for her.

"Why are you on my case about this whole college thing?" the blonde tilted her head at the other girl. "What about you? Have you picked something?" As soon as she asks this, Lucy is surprised to see sadness and longing start to filter into the silver-head girl's gaze, before said girl turns away to look out the lounge window. "L?" Lucy whispers uncertain.

Lisanna's shoulders rise and fall in a heavy sigh as she continues to stair outside. "We're not talking about me right now, we're talking about you. Natsu and I...we're not going anywhere." There's a finality to her words. The hopelessness of someone who has given up their dreams and aspirations and it has the blonde frowning in confusion.

Realization dawns on the blonde. It might not be possibly for Lisanna to go anywhere – she didn't know what their money situation was like. They might not be able to afford it.

Lisanna still won't look at her and it feels like the atmosphere has morphed to something that has Lucy shift awkwardly on the floor. Suddenly she feels like some spoiled brat. She has all these opportunities and she's just frittering them away. She hadn't even considered Lisanna and Natsu's situation and what it might be like. She shouldn't have just assumed that they were free to do as they pleased.

Another minute passes by in silence and Lucy watches the quiet girl look out at the night sky. When she can't handle the tension anymore, Lucy places a hand comfortingly on her neighbor's shoulder and smiles when Lisanna turns her eyes to her.

"L, whatever it is you want to do with your life….you should do it."

There's a beat of silence before Lisanna takes her by surprise – she starts laughing.

It's a musical laugh that's sad and filled with broken promises and Lucy feels her smile fall away. When Lisanna's laughter dies down, she's smiling sadly at the floor. "I wish, but I mean it when I say that I'm not going anywhere," she sighs out defeatedly, eyes moving to land on the empty fireplace. "I'm stuck," she shrugs, like it's just how it is and there's nothing she can do about it. "And I'm always going to be stuck in this little town, in the middle of nowhere."

"But why?" Lucy finds herself asking.

Lisanna's gaze flickers towards her briefly before she looks at the window again and Lucy feels a tinge of disappointment at the realization that her friend still couldn't trust her. She pushes the selfish thought away as soon as it comes though. She knew better than anyone that family situations were hard. Lisanna echoes her thoughts.

"Family drama. Family issues," Lisanna shrugs again. "Our lives are complicated, Natsu's and mine. We're a mess. A crazy mess of...crazy." She shakes her head before smiling wistfully. Then it looks like some sort of switch is flipped, because the girl's face suddenly lights up. "My dreams are simple: I just want to see the world." Her eyes are glazed over like she was imagining something she'd done so many times before.

Lucy just watches in wonder.

"If I could go to college, I'd go somewhere far from here: maybe Japan or Brazil or even Africa! Heck, I'd settle for New York or California, but nope," she says with a finalizing pop of her lips. "My entire life is here and it will always be here." Her voice grows softer, more mono and Lucy's brows furrow as she stares at her.

"Is your family...that controlling?" the blonde asks hesitantly.

Lisanna smiles, before meeting her eyes. "My family's different," she rolls her eyes. "We've been through a lot is what I mean, so we're just….scared, I guess?"

Lucy doesn't know what to say to that. 'Scared? What could they be scared of?' The look in her friend's eyes make her think better than to ask such a touch subject. She'd let Lisanna reach out to her when she needed it. Lucy would be patently waiting.

Lucy squeezes Lisanna's shoulder, before lunging back against the couch again. "...If it's any cancellation….my dad's pretty controlling too. So, I think I get where you're coming from."

Lisanna blinks in surprise, before breaking into a smile and then looking down again. It's an another few seconds before she speaks again. "Hey Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for encouraging my hopes and dreams…but I've made peace with my life." Her voice is honest, but quiet as she tilts her head back to look up at the ceiling. "Do you want to know why I think Natsu secretly loves this town?" she asks.

Lucy eyes her curiously. "I thought Natsu hated this town."

Lisanna giggles at her confused tone, but shakes her head. "He's just grumpy about everything, but he does like it...secretly."

Lucy hummed, before saying, "So why?"

"Because it's safe," Lisanna answers easily. "Because it's quiet. Because despite how much everyone hates us...there's peace here. There's peace and protection in the anonymity and the isolation. Even though Natsu's confrontational. All he wants is a little bit of peace."

Lucy only grows more confused. Lisanna sighs then as if she's forgotten she was talking with someone else and not just in her bedroom alone – she seemed to do that a lot, actually.

"I kinda miss the old Natsu though," Lisanna murmurs more to herself than to Lucy.

The blonde's eyebrows raise. "The old Natsu?"

Lisanna nods slightly. "Yeah, the one I knew when we were kids. He was different back then. I think I was too." She then pauses, before she chuckles a bit at her own observations. "Well, different, but also the same. I don't know how to describe it."

Lucy grins lazily at her friend's happy tone. "What was your childhood like?" She regrets asking something like that instantly, but Lisanna's smile only perks up more.

"Natsu was a little troll! I mean, that's not surprising at all given how he is now, but..." she giggles a bit as she recalls her childhood memories. "I remember that he used to stand over me while I slept and pretend to be a shadow monster."

Lucy smiles as Lisanna laughs more.

"I used to get so angry at him for trying to creep me out like that, but then I got the better of him."

Lucy's interest peeks higher and she smirks at her friend. "What did you do?"

Lisanna looks almost excited as she tells Lucy her triumph. "The next time we slept in the same room, I woke up one night and slammed my pillow into him! Apparently in 'fight or flight mode', I chose to fight that day." Both girls chuckled at the image, before Lisanna smiled more fondly than in laughter. "but what I really liked was, instead on being angry, he just laughed and laughed and laughed."

Lucy smiles at the sweet story, her own childhood was absent of any siblings so she couldn't understand fully, but it sure sounded fun.

"That's so sweet," Lucy said and Lisanna smiles too.

"Yeah, we used to have so much fun."

Lucy grins wider, before her brow slowly furrows. "Wait...what did you mean when you said that the next time you slept in the same room? Did you guys not always have your own rooms or something?"

She watches as the silver-haired girl blinks, before gaping slightly and then smiling.

"Uh no, um...you see the thing was, I...used to be scared of the dark so I had Natsu sleep in my room sometimes." Lisanna's smile has a more nervous edge to it, but Lucy nods anyway, ignoring it for now. It made sense anyway.

Lucy then glances over at the clock and hums, before looking back at Lisanna. "You hungry?" she asks. "I think we have some leftovers from yesterday."

Lisanna's bright, blue eyes glance at the clock too, before growing wider. Turning back to face Lucy, she gives an apologetic smile, shaking her head. "Oops."

"Oops?" Lucy repeats.

"Yeah, oops," Lisanna nods. "I talked for so long about me when we were supposed to be focusing on you and college."

Lucy almost lets out an exasperated breath. 'Not again.'

Lisanna then picks up one of the college brochures and thumps through it. As she flips through the pages, Lucy can't help but notice her fingers…. _blurring._

"What the-!" Lucy gasps.

Lisanna pauses in her search and blinks up at the blonde. "Hm?"

Lucy's eyes are still glued to her finger – which are back to normal and she wonders if she had been seeing things...again? "You're fingers…." Lucy says, still trying to figure out her thoughts.

Lisanna glances down at her hands, frowns and then looks up at the blonde again. "What about my fingers?"

Lucy continues to stare, almost urging them to do it again – if just to prove that she wasn't going crazy. She remembers how she thought she'd seen the same thing happen when they had been drinking lemonade a while back. Was it just her mind playing tricks on her? Was she just seeing things?

The fingers stayed visible and Lucy felt herself ease up. She was just tired. It was just her imagination.

"Nothing," she breaths when she catches Lisanna's innocent eyes. "Never mind." Lucy blinks a few times and shakes her head to relax.

Lisanna continues to eye her worriedly though and Lucy searches the room for something to say. Her eyes land on her aunt's bookshelf and she takes the bait.

"I'm thinking about going to the library later," Lucy states and Lisanna blinks. "I'm running out of things to read," Lucy adds. "Do you want to come with me? I think I remember where it was the last time I drove through town, but I can't be sure – plus, I'd love the company."

Lisanna relaxes at the offer and smiles sweetly. "I'd love to come! It's kind of amazing how books can really open up the world around you," she says with a look of honestly wonder, before tilting her head at the blonde. "When are you planning to go?"

Lucy thinks it over, before shrugging. "Tonight, I guess. At least I won't have to wait in line to sign out a book." She wasn't sure how busy the town's library got during the day, but she didn't want to take the chance.

A strange, almost worried look crosses over Lisanna's face. Lucy doesn't miss it.

"What?"

Lisanna bites her lip nervously, before replying; "I'd rather you go tomorrow, that way I can go with you." Lucy blinks at that answer.

"Is there...something wrong with going at night?"

The silver-haired girl shakes her head a bit too quickly and then gives her a solemn look. "I mean it, Lucy – I'd rather you wait before going to the library." Her eyes sweep back over to the window for a second. "Um, I wish I could go with you, but my friends…" her voice trails off and sighs. "Just hold up a bit and I'll go with you to the library, okay?"

Lucy eyes her smile, slightly unsure. 'She just completely bypassed talking about her friends.'

Apparently some of Natsu and Lisanna's old friends from a few days ago were still staying over at their house. Lisanna had told her that they lived in the town too, but they wanted to get close to them for a while. Lucy hadn't snooped deeper into it, but it had seemed strange at the time to her.

Lucy had already met one of them – Gajeel and she didn't like him. Their creepy truck came back yesterday a bit after Lisanna had returned home. Luckily, Lucy hadn't had another awkward encounter with Gajeel – she still hadn't seen the others that came with him. On the upside, Lisanna hadn't ditched her to hang out with them yet. Lucy had told her that it would be okay if she wanted to see them too, but the sweet girl insisted she'd get to see them tonight.

Although very grateful, Lucy couldn't help but feel that the girl was acting weird about this. It was just going off to the library. It was a small town – did she think it would be dangerous?

"L," Lucy sighed. "It's just the library. Why are you getting so worried?"

"I'm not worried, not really," she says, before pausing and her fingers reach up to massage her temples. "There's...there's been some girls who've gone missing lately."

Lucy's mind flashes back to the missing poster of that Mavis girl. It was a hard face to forget. The girl looked so innocent.

"Has...has this got anything to do with that girl, Mavis?"

For a brief moment, Lisanna freezes up, before she laughs lightly. "Yes and no. She's just…one of many unexplained disappearances that happened in this town. As safe and protected as this town is, when things go wrong…they go really wrong." Lisanna bites the inside of her lip as she keeps eyes contact with Lucy. "Wait until tomorrow, Lucy. I'd rather you go with me and we can protect each other. Just in case, you know? Besides, it's late. It's getting really dark out."

They both turn to look out the window at the darkening sky. Lucy turns away thoughtfully, pulling her legs closer to her chest. She can't deny the small chill of creepy that runs through her. As if she needed more to be freaked out about at night.

"Lis...you worry to much," the blonde smiles through a sigh.

"...In the absence of light, darkness can consume people."

Lucy peeks back at the girl to find her staring at her pleadingly.

"Please wait for me – or even for Natsu."

Lucy swallows at the suggestion, refusing to play back the last memory she and he had before Lisanna came home. She hadn't seen him today either, but it was kind of a relief, honestly. She was sure if she faced him she'd go tongue-tied again. And the worst part was that she didn't know what it had all meant...to him or to her.

"I doubt he'll be wanting to spend more time with me, L," Lucy voiced her thoughts. She wasn't sure she wanted to spend some with him either.

"Then me," Lisanna suggested. "I don't want you wandering in the dark by yourself – especially when you don't even really know the town that well yet." Her words caused Lucy to huff amusingly at her.

"Who needs my father when I have you? You're so protective!"

Lisanna rolls her eyes, her voice still serious when she speaks again. "Monsters lurk in the dark, Lucy. Remember that." She then sighs again, before going back to her chirpier expression.

Lucy watches it with interest, silently wondering if both Dragneel siblings enjoyed their mood-swings. They may be more similar than she initially thought. She wasn't sure how she felt about it yet.

"Anyway," the pretty, silver-haired girl hummed. "It really is getting late. I need to get going, unless we want Natsu banging on your door." Lucy smiles half-heartily as Lisanna gracefully stands up and stretches and then grabs her purse. "Please tell your auntie that it was lovely to see her again. I feel bad for not speaking up more."

Lucy waves her hand dismissively. "Got it, don't worry about it."

She walks Lisanna to the door and the girls hug, before Lisanna walks out. Lucy doesn't go in just yet and watches as her female neighbor pauses in her steps to look up at the night sky. Lucy notes that it's another quirk the two siblings have in common.

Lisanna seems faraway as she stares and Lucy frowns in confusion, before looking up too. The sky is a sight to see – it's filled with thousands of shimmering stars. Just gorgeous.

The blonde girl jumps slightly when Lisanna's voice sounds ahead of her and she meets the girl's almost sad eyes.

"There are things that go bump in the night, Lucy."

Lucy blames it on the moonlight, but in that moment, it looked like Lisanna's brilliant, blue eyes were shinning – just like the moon. They only made the pixie-like girl more beautiful.

"Lis?"

Lisanna smiles comfortingly at the unsure tone. "Just be careful, okay? Those things won't hesitate to hurt innocent people."

* * *

 

Lucy's sitting at the kitchen table with Lisanna's parting words echoing in her mind.

" _Those things won't hesitate to hurt innocent people."_

The look in her friends eyes had her not being able to let it go. Was Lisanna scared of something? She understood how something like girl-abductors could be scary. She hadn't seen any other missing posters at the grocery store though. Did that mean that Mavis was a recent victim? How didn't they that she might have just ditched town?

"Lucy? Oh Lucy?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lucy looks up to see her aunt smiling down at her from in front of her stove.

"What are you rambling to yourself?" Aquarius asked and Lucy bit her lip at the question.

Aquarius must have heard about the missing girls – she must have. She may get some closure from her if she talked about it, but she may feel worse too. Lucy actually didn't want to think about the topic anymore, the thought was just too depressing. This town was safe. She was safe, Lisanna was safe. Everything was _fine._

Looking at the expecting look on her aunt's face, Lucy hummed before answering with the next thing she could think of – she decided to open up about the other weird things in her life.

Where to start, right?

"Lis just got back from visiting her family and now she's hanging out with her friends," Lucy said after some thought. Her aunt's eyes widened at the statement and Lucy recalled how Aqua had said that the two siblings didn't usually have any visitors. Did that mean, Lisanna and Natsu usually went to them?

"Oh...why didn't you ask to go hang out with her and them?"

'One: Natsu would be there – she didn't need that torture. Two: That weird Gajeel would be there and three: she would feel like she was intruding.'

"I didn't feel like it," Lucy shrugs naturally.

"Why not?" Aqua asks. "This could have been a great opportunity for you to make some new friends."

"She didn't say it, but Lisanna sort of implied that I wouldn't get along with her friends."

Her aunt hums.

"That's weird. Lisanna is such a nice girl," as she says this, Aqua turns to stir the pot of veggie stew. "I hope you're hunger. I'm not sure how this will taste though, it's a new recipe."

Lucy smiles gratefully at the change in subject. "I'll eat anything you give me."

Aqua laughs at that and continues stirring. "You're going to regret those words one day."

The blonde shrugs contently.

"So," Aqua says after a minute. "I overheard you telling Lisanna that you're planning on going to the library?"

"That's what I was planning," Lucy sighs.

"Was?"

"Lisanna says that she wants to go with me tomorrow."

"Oh," Aqua voices as she continues preparing the food. "I was actually hoping you could go today and grab me some cook books. I asked the librarian to order me some. I meant to pick them up today, but it completely slipped my mind." She glances at the clock and frowns. "Oh well, I guess it is getting a bit late now anyway."

Lucy watches her aunt's back as she focuses on the stew. 'Hm, the library really isn't that far away – if I remember right. I know L is freaking out but...' Her thoughts trail off as she inhales deeply.

This was stupid. What were the odds of her getting abducted anyway? 'Maybe Natsu's starting to rub off on his sister in the overprotective department. I mean, that girl disappeared over a year ago.'

Her mind made up, Lucy clears her thought. "You know, the library isn't that far. I think I will go tonight."

Aquarius stops stirring to look at her suspiciously. "Why the change in attitude? You planning on running off to some party?"

Lucy grins cheekily, before giggling. "Aqua, who do I know in this town who'd through a party? I just want to go. I feel like a drive."

Her aunt clicks her tongue, before smiling. "Take a jacket okay? And thanks, Lucy. I appreciate it."

"In that case, can I take your car?" Lucy asks, batting her eyelashes. "I'm a little low on gas."

Aquarius huffs, but does nod in the end and Lucy beams up in response, before humping of the chair and giving her aunt a big hug.

"Thanks, Aqua!"

Aqua sighs, but Lucy can see the amused smile on her face. With a quick kiss on the cheek, Lucy jogs upstairs to her room.

* * *

In her room, Lucy rushes over to her closet and scratches for a jacket, before tossing it on – best to do as her aunt instructed. Grabbing her purse, Lucy's about to run down stairs again when that dark, creepy feeling starts to gnaw at her nerves again. She admits that her earlier conversation with Lisanna had had her a bit spooked. Maybe she was being a bit reckless with going out so late, but really – what were the odds?

Lucy stands non-moving for a longer moment, before shaking her head. She was being paranoid, that's all. Still, maybe it was better to be safe than sorry.

Her eyes strayed to her desk, more specifically the desk draw.

She sighed after an uncertain minute and then stomped over to it, opened it and pulled out the item she wanted. It was a can of pepper spray.

Lucy still remembered her father giving it to her and demanding that she always have it on her. She hadn't every needed it before, but maybe it would make her feel more comfortable if she had it with her tonight.

Holding the can, Lucy already fell a bit better – if maybe a bit silly too.

More contempt now, Lucy turns around and grabs her book bag, dumping her purse and the pepper spray inside it, before leaving the room.

* * *

 

During the drive to the library, the skies quickly cloud over, covering the moon and the stars. The darkness is so profound that even the streetlights seem to glow dimmer than usual.

Lucy tries to ignore the creepy feeling building in her chest. She had made this choice – no point in heading home now.

It wasn't long before she found the library and she was proud of herself for remembering the way. She parks in the lot, before climbing out the car, grabbing her book bag as she does.

It's cold outside, unsurprisingly and she tightens the jacket around her. The lot is almost, completely empty. Only two other cars join her own one.

"Okay, yeah. I'm starting to get why I shouldn't be walking around town this late," Lucy whispers to herself, her brown eyes searching the area.  _Creepy_  was definitely the word to use here.

As she quickly makes her way towards the library, she notices a strange man standing in the shadows. Lucy doesn't know why her eyes keep glancing towards him as she walks closer. He's leaning against a broken streetlight with his eyes obscured by dark sunglasses.

The fact that he's wearing them at this time of day has Lucy getting bad vibes from him and she tries to keep her distance.

His head doesn't turn in her direction once, but despite the sunglasses, she feels like he's watching her.

'Hm,' Lucy swallows as she walks a bit faster, rapping her arms around herself. She doesn't look back at him again as she hurriedly walks into the library.

Once inside the building, Lucy breathes a sigh of sweet relief, before closing the door behind her. The  _ **click**_ that follows offers some sort of security and she relaxes quickly.

The library is quite spacious, more than she expected it to be anyway. As expected, the building was almost empty. There was one guy silently reading at one of the tables and Lucy thought she saw two women walking between the shelves.

The peaceful atmosphere that came with any library was calming to the antsy blonde and Lucy allowed herself a deep breath, before walking over the front desk.

'Okay, Aqua needs cook books. I think I'll get Lisanna something to read to as an apology.'

After collecting all the books and feeling more than satisfied, Lucy makes her way to the checkout counter. A  _ **Meow**_  sounds behind her and Lucy turns to see a little, black cat sitting on the desk. It's curious, green eyes watch her intently and Lucy almost _swoons_  at the cuteness.

She doesn't hesitate at moving closer and gently stroking it behind the ear. It makes another cute sound and Lucy giggles.

"And how did I miss you?" Her voice filled with adoration. The unmistakable purring has the blonde gushing over him in seconds. 'Kitties are too cute!'

"Careful, he's been known to scratch."

Lucy jolts at the deep, slow tone and turns around quickly to see the man that had been reading at the table earlier now standing before her.

She hadn't cared to take in his appearance before, but now she could see that he was more a man than a guy. He was dressed warmly, a scarf covering the bottom half of his face, hiding his mouth. 'Handsome,' she noted, but not exactly her type (not that she was exactly picky). He was tall – something Lucy was getting used too around here and his brown hair was more than stylish, but what really caught her attention was the foggy, gray of his eyes.

They sent chills up her spine….she wasn't sure if it was for good reason or not.

"I'm sorry?" Lucy straightened, the cat now forgotten.

The stranger gestured to the feline behind her and Lucy followed with her eyes.

"The cat. He's scratches," the man repeated, a strange tone to his voice. Lucy wondered if it was an accent. "Trust me, I speak from experience."

Lucy peeked back at the man, who met her gaze and smiled. "Thanks," Lucy said politely, before reaching back to the cat and pet him again. The feline purred it's consent. She smiled, before looking looking back at the man again with a proud smile. "But I think I'll take my chances."

She heard him chuckle behind her and she felt that chill again.

"You knew around here?" the stranger asked. "I think I would have remembered such a pretty face."

Lucy tensed at the flirty tone, but managed not to show it too much. "I just moved here a while ago actually, it's a nice town," she said, moving away from the cat and peeking over at the front desk.

"Maybe I could show you around sometime? I know it pretty well."

Lucy grimaced at that, but smiled straight after, finally meeting his eyes. He really was cute…but Lucy didn't know him, besides, he looked way older than her.

"Thanks," the blonde smiled. "Um, maybe if I see you around, but I really need to get going. So..."

The brunette chuckled at her obvious tension and nodded. "I understand, I won't hold you up." He offered his gloved hand to her and Lucy eyed it confusingly. "Until next time then – It's a small town, I'm sure we'll meet again."

Lucy meet his eyes again and after a second, accepted the hand. He hummed as she did, satisfied.

"At least, I hope we do," he said alluringly and Lucy held her smile, rather opting to stay silent.

The man let go then and gave her one last look, before nodding and walking away. Lucy watched in confusion as he existed the building.

'The people here sure were strange.'

* * *

 

Outside, the gloomy darkness presses down on her once more. It weighs her down like a strange fog that refuses to go away no matter how hard she tries to shake it. Maybe it was just her nerves going hay-nail, but Lucy can't help but glance in the direction of where that man with the sunglasses had been standing.

She stops in her tracks when there's nobody there.

She's all alone in the dark area.

Her arms clutch the book bag hanging at her waist and Lucy keeps her eyes to the ground as she walks faster. Her quick steps get her to her aunt's car in no time and she already has her hand touching the car door, when -

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Lucy freezes at the sound of the scratchy tone. She turns around so fast, almost enough to give herself whiplash. Who she sees, has her shudder.

"You," she breathes.

The man with the dark glasses stands before her, a smile growing on his face.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" The man's voice is practically a whisper, but it rakes against her nerves like gravel. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and she clutches one hand around the door handle of the car.

He watches her patiently and Lucy swallows. She steels herself as she looks at the man, searching his face for any indication of what his motives are right now. Something hard to do when she can't see his eyes.

'Sunglasses in the dead of the night, why?'

Still clutching the handle, Lucy's free hand moves to clutch her book bag strap. She grips it for a moment to contain herself.

"What do you want?" She asks, her voice calm, unlike her nerves.

The man's smile falters at her words and his hands move into his trouser pockets. Lucy's eyes flicker down towards them, before instantly shooting back up to his face. He gives her a bashful smile when she does.

"I need your help, please," he says. "There's no one around and my car needs a jump."

Lucy blinks a couple times. "Um, I-I don''t have jumper cables. Can't you call someone else? Maybe somebody in the library can help you?" She thinks that's the end of the conversation, but just as she turns back to her car, the man speaks up once more.

"Actually, I already asked them," he laughs. "They can't help me either...look can't I at least borrow your phone? Mine died and my family is probably worried about me."

Lucy's eyes him suspiciously, more specifically the glasses. 'Maybe he's wearing them because he has vision problems? Plus, if I was stranded, I'd be pretty desperate to ask for help too.'

Biting her lip nervously, Lucy glances around the area, before going back to him. She didn't understand why, but there was something so creepy about him. Lisanna's warning rings in her ears and Lucy's hand on her handle tightens.

"I'm sorry. My phone died too. Good luck finding a phone though, I'm sure the librarian can help you." That's all she says, before she turns back to her car, opening the door as quickly as she can without seeming obvious.

"You humans really do deserve to die."

Lucy's heart skips a beat at the strange words and she turns back to peek over her shoulder. "Wha-what?"

Before she can fully register the man's words, she feels the air around her disappear. An ice, cold hand is wrapped around her throat, choking her as she gasps and wheezes for breathe. The man's hand raises and Lucy with it, her feet dangling off the ground.

The blonde's hands drastically and urgently claw at his own steady hand, but her attempts don't even faze him.

"Now," the man's voice comes out more icy. "You can walk away from this unscathed or I can break both your legs."

Lucy's eyes widen in fear at the threat, her mouth gaping for breath.

"It all depends on whether or not you decide to cooperate with me," he states, his lips stretching into a mocking smirk. "So make your decision wisely."

His breath stings like needles of frost against her skin and her vision slowly starts to blur towards darkness. She can barely see him anymore, but just manages to make out that smirk turn into an angry scowl.

"I can smell them on you. Tell me human, where are they?" His voice more menacing now.

Lucy lets out a whimpering sound and struggles more against this man's iron grip on her throat. Her legs kick fatally as the man growls at her resistance.

"P-please!" Lucy struggles to cry out, feeling tears run down her cheeks. "I-I don't -"

"Answer me!"

Lucy's eyes clench tight and she tries to dig her nails into the man's arm – but he only laughs. As if to punish her, his hold tightens and Lucy's mouth opens in a silent scream. She faintly hears him hum.

"Oh, right – you can't talk if you can't breath," the man says in a bored tone. "I forgot that humans require air to function...or did I?"

The world whips around her and the next thing she knows is that she's soaring through the air.

A piercing scream rips from her lips as she does, before she lands hard on the ground. Stars appear behind her eyes and pain blossoms from the back of her head as her skull hits the ground –  _ **hard.**_

A low groan sounds and Lucy's vision is suddenly a lot blurrier before, even without his grip on her neck. She can barely make out the legs of her attacker as he struts towards her. One thought keeps running through her head and it's that she needs to  _run._

With sore bones, her book bag at her side, Lucy scrambles to get up. A rush of pained dizziness overtakes her and the blonde struggles to stay steady. Just as she manages to get onto her hands and knees – she hears his menacing voice again.

"I don't think so, sweetheart."

In her terror, Lucy manages to get to her feet, ready to run as far away as possible. Something snakes its way around her ankle and yanks her back towards the monster of a man. She screams again, but her voice comes out hollow. The pain of her throat vibrating through every noise.

"There's no running from me and there's no fighting me. You can only submit...or die..."

The man then yanks her up from the ground by her arm and nearly crushes her wrist in his grip. Lucy can only whimper again at the pain as he pulls her close – so close to him that she can see herself reflected in his dark sunglasses. She sees the scared, desperate look in her eyes and something within her snaps -

If she was going to die, she didn't want to go down without a fight.

Rage and adrenaline courses through her as she glares back at him. "You…." she croaks. "Underestimated the w-wrong girl." Her actions are almost pure instinct and will-power as she spits in the man's face. He doesn't even flinch and then the he laughs at her feeble action, but that's what gives her an advantage as she grabs the bottle of pepper spray in her book bag.

Before he can register what she's doing, Lucy slaps his glasses off and sprays him, the fire-ry spray hitting him directly in the eyes.

Surprised by her attack, the man lets go of her arm and Lucy scrambles back and away from him.

"Ah….AH!"

She almost trips back on the ground, the pain and dizziness not yet forgotten, but Lucy quickly grabs onto her car. Her eyes go back on him instantly, but confusion overtakes her soon after.

His face is bright red, but slowly, she sees it almost evaporating away.

"W-what?" Lucy says under her breath as she watches in horror at what she thought was pained wheezing becoming mocking laughter as the man stands up straighter.

"Oh, I guess I  _Underestimated_  your tenacity, little girl," he taunts as he puts his sunglasses back on. His footsteps echo in the dark as the man walks over to her slowly, but intimidatingly. "Submit to me, sweetheart. Submit to me and tell me where they are."

Maybe it was still the adrenaline, but Lucy feels more braver than before. Fists clenched, she glares at the monster threatening her. "I would never ever submit to someone like you." Her voice is hoarse as she struggles to speak, but she manages it all the same. Lucy stumbles backwards as she attempts to move behind the car. Her body aches in resistance, but she keeps her eyes on his face. "What do you want from me? Are you the creep that's been abducting girls?" She feels him glare at her behind the glasses.

Flickers of annoyance flash across the monster's face. "You're relentless. How about we make a deal instead?"

Lucy doesn't answer, glancing at the library. 'Why isn't anybody coming out? Can't they hear what's going on?'

"You tell me where they are and I'll vanish without a trace," he continues.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Lucy demands, trying to stay steady as she grips the car's side.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Rage washes over his face and in a blink of an eye, she feels the man's presence behind her as he snarls against her ear. She stiffens immediately. "Fine,  _don't_  tell me, but let me show you how I deal with stupid humans who don't know their place!"

A scream surges out of her, before she knows what's happening as pain and darkness start to consume her. It's a pain so raw that she's not quite sure what hurts – just her.

"You have their trace on you! You are their pet! Where are they!?"

The monster is on top of her now, straddling her hips as he chokes her once again – but Lucy almost doesn't feel it compared to the rest of the pain cursing through her veins.

"I...what...you..." Lucy rambles almost inaudibly. Her eyes rolls to the back of her head as her lungs are blocked once more, more urgently and unforgiving now. "I...I don't un...derstand." She hears him make a happy sound.

"Of cause you don't. You're nothing but a stupid, walking mammal.  _Useless_."

His grip on her neck tightens and she feels herself slowly growing colder and colder. Darkness bleeds into her vision until finally – everything turns black.

'I'm going to die,' she thinks as she fades away. 'This is how it ends.'

Somewhere far off in the distance, she faintly hears a soft, musical song fill her entire being. 'What it this?'

And then...there's air.

She breathes and breathes and breathes as air floods her lungs. Her eyes open to see a bright flash of golden light sear through the darkness surrounding her. It reminds her of the light she saw with the bear. 'Beautiful.' And then she hears the fleshy sound of a body hitting the pavement.

"AND FUCKING STAY DOWN!" A furious voice hisses in the distance.

Lucy numbly turns her head, groaning as she does. What she sees makes her eyes widen.

A man – no – something else in the form of a man stood a few feet away from her. She can only see it's broad back and hind legs, but the form isn't what makes her gasp in fear. The man seems to be lit on fire – his entire form engulfed in the angry flames.

Lucy feels herself freeze as she lays there and stares at the new stranger.

And intense, red light flashes above her as street lamps explode one by one and a curdling scream fills the night. Lucy's eyes fall shut again in terror.

An agonizing scream fills the area and Lucy cries with it.

'This isn't real. This isn't happening to her.'

"Are you okay?"

There's something familiar about that voice and it has the blonde opening her eyes. Slowly, she looks up to see the mysterious being looking down at her with worried eyes. His face is just as surrounded by the flames as the rest of him, but they don't seem to be hurting him. If anything – they seem to be grazing him, protecting him like armor. There's nothing normal about his eyes either, there's no pupil – only a golden glow.

'He's...beautiful.'

"Lucy, are you okay?" the beautiful being's voice comes out more urgently.

"How...how do you know my name?" the blonde whispers weakly as she struggles to keep her eyes open at the alluring light.

"...I'm surprised that you don't recognize me."

The mysterious being reaches over then and she feels a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. Lucy whimpers at the touch.

"Hold still, okay?" he instructs gently.

A deep warmth washes through her then, a warmth that's like basking in the sun – but better. Slowly, the pain she endured begins to fade and her muscles and bones start to mend.

Lucy closes her eyes in relieved bliss as the pulsing ache in her head dulls away.

"Lucy?"

Opening her eyes again, her vision much clearer then before, Lucy lifts her gaze to meet Natsu's worried, intense, black eyes looking down at her with concern. She blinks up at him.

"N-Natsu?"

He smiles softly at her, a tensed breath leaving his lips as he nods once at her. "Yeah-yeah, it's me. You're okay."

Tears prick the corners of her eyes. Tears of joy, of relief and of pure exhaustion. There's no pain in her throat at all as she continues to whisper his name in pure relief.

"Kitten," Natsu whispers to her, worry still gripping at his words. "Kitten, listen to me. Are you hurt? Where are you hurt?"

Lucy laughs a watery laugh at his tone as she shakes her head, continuing to stare glossy eyes up at him. "I'm so happy to see you," she chokes out and before she can stop herself, Lucy pushes herself upright – her body not even resisting in the slightest. It's like all the pain just vanished, but she doesn't think about it now, too busy with leaning in and wrapping her arms around the crouching man.

She lets out another watery gasp as she feels him return the embrace and she melts further into it, her fingers clutching tightly into the material of his shirt.

"Sssh, it's okay. If you want to cry, just cry." His arms tighten around her now violently, quivering form. "I'm here, Lucy."

He continues to hold her protectively to him, only moving to shift so that she's comfortably cradled in his lap. Lucy can only cry in answer and lets herself listen to the soft beats of his heart lull her back into a sense of peace. She feels his arms pull her even closer.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

Lucy doesn't understand why he's apologizing. He didn't do anything wrong.

Seconds bleed into minutes, until finally her tears start to dry and she's exhausted in Natsu's warm arms.

She breaths more steady as she tries to speak. "I'm so tired."

"Then rest for a little while longer, kitten," came Natsu soft voice above her. "I'm going to call an ambulance for you."

Lucy stiffens when the boy moves slightly away from her, but then his hold pauses before he gently pushes her far enough look at her. Lucy meets his eyes with her own red, swollen ones and sees him give a pained look.

"Rest. I'm not going anywhere," he tells her. "You're safe now, okay?"

Lucy searches his eyes for a minute longer and then nods, this time allowing him to leave her as he stands and takes out his phone from his pocket.

As he makes the 911 call, Lucy's left to reflect back on her thoughts. It all seemed like it happened to someone else now. She can barely remember most of it…but the things she does remember…

'That man...no, that monster or whatever he or it was….it wasn't human.'

A chill settles in her bones at this realization, the memory of it all flooding back to her in waves. She gasps at it and then looks over at Natsu.

'Natsu...Natsu's not normal either. He can't be. I saw it! I mean, he was glowing! He was...what was he even?'

After finishing his call, Natsu walks back to her and kneels down next to her. Lucy watches him with wonder and to her surprise – no fear.

Natsu had saved her.

"How are you feeling now?" Natsu asked, his eyes scanning her.

Lucy opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She has to swallow a few times before she feels her tongue again. "I'm okay. I-I think….there's no pain at all...it's weird."

Natsu sighs at that, that pained look returning to his face – before a hint of anger washes over.

"Natsu-?"

"Dammit," he curses. "Lucy. This...this is all my fault..."

She notices Natsu's hands clench into fists and despite his recent fight….

'There's not a single scratch on him,' she finds.

"I promise that something like this will never happen again." He sounds angry and Lucy speaks slowly as she watches him.

"That man who attacked me...do you know him?"

Natsu frowns and then shakes his head. "No, I don't."

Lucy hesitates before saying, "A light. I saw a light. What was it?"

Natsu regards her for a second, before looking away from her. "They say there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

Lucy frowns too then. He was holding something back, this time, she had no doubt about it. Natsu looks at her again and catches the look, before glaring down at himself.

"You did almost die."

Lucy's breath hitches at that and she frowns deeper. "Yeah."

"...Sorry. That...that was thoughtless." As he looks up again and observes her. He reaches over and picks up her wrist, only to grimace at what he sees there.

Lucy's eyes drop to her hand, but sees nothing out of the ordinary, before looking back at him. "Natsu?"

His eyes leave her hand and meet hers again. "Just checking to see if it's broken or sprained. Looks like you got lucky."

'He's lying.'

"Natsu..." Lucy voices. "Why aren't you answering my questions?"

The pink-haired man falls quiet at her words and he lets go of her wrist. "Answer me this first; why did you come out here by yourself. Lis told you to wait for her, why didn't you?"

Lucy blinks in surprise. 'How did he know about that? Why would Lis tell him?'

"My aunt asked me to get some books," the blonde answered quietly. "I didn't think this would happen. I didn't have to, but it's such a quick trip, I figured why not?' She had been very wrong.

Natsu sighs as he takes her in. Lucy frowns again.

"How did you find me? What are you even doing here? Don't you and Lisanna have friends over?"

"What's wrong with taking a night time stroll around town?"

"All the way to the library?" Lucy said back.

"The library isn't far."

"It's a 15-minute drive, which means it's a much longer walk and it's not safe." Her response has him frowning.

"Remind me again: Who's the one who got beat up tonight?"

Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with Natsu, Lucy shakes her head and thinks back on her attacker. Her eyes scan over the area around them.

"That guy, the one who attacked me...where is he?"

Natsu takes a minute to answer. "He's gone. He took off running."

Why didn't she believe him?

"Right," Lucy voices softly.

Silence passes between the two of them and then suddenly, she hears the sirens wail in the distance.

"The ambulance is almost her," Natsu says. There's a somberness to his voice as he looks off into the dark distance. A somberness laced with an undercurrent of fear as he turns to look at her.

"That man. Did he say anything to you?"

Lucy didn't even consider lying in that moment.

"He said a lot of things and none of them really made any sense."

"What did he say?"

Lucy closes her eyes as she tries to remember. "...He kept asking me where  _they_  are."

Natsu seems to be taking in this new bit of information, before taking a deep breath. Lucy worries her lip before speaking again.

"Natsu...are  _you_  the  _they_  he was talking about?" She doesn't want to ask him that. She has a feeling this while this is way more complicated then she thinks. She doesn't know anything, but she just feels so lost right now. She wants to know why some crazy, lunatic attacked her.

Instead of answering her question, Natsu shakes his head and pulls her into a soft, protective hug. It takes her by surprise, but she doesn't pull away. Slowly, Lucy settles in his embrace once more, seeping up the warm, smokey smell that came with it.

She can't help but think of the burning man as she inhales it. It makes sense now.

"What else did he say?" he whispers to her, not demanding, but serious.

The blonde's voice is muffled in the fabric over his shoulder, but she manages to speak. "He said something about a trace being on me, I think." She feels him nod slowly, before groaning and then buries his face in the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Lucy." There is pain in his voice. Pain and anger directed not at her, but at himself and Lucy only grows more confused.

"Why do you keep apologizing?"

He doesn't say anything and breathes out lowly, his chest and Lucy my extension rising with it. "I'm so sorry. So...sorry...but thanks for telling me the truth." He lets out another deep breath. "And...thanks for trusting me, but from now on...you need to stop."

Lucy's brows furrow. "What do you mean stop?"

"You know exactly what I mean," he says tiredly.

As many hopeless, confusing thoughts run through her head, she can't help but think about their loneliness. The deep and painful looks she sees in both Natsu and Lisanna's eyes. Did this have something to do with that?

"Natsu..."

The pink-head glances up at the sound of his name and she takes that moment to gently pull back and reach up and hesitantly caress the side of his face.

His skin is as warm as ever and she's starting to figure out why. For a second he flinches, as if expecting her touch to somehow hurt him. Lucy doesn't like it. When it doesn't however, he falls still and closes his eyes.

"Look at me," she demands gently.

Slowly, his eyes open and as she looks deep into those dark-endless eyes, watching as the gold flickers in them – she sees vulnerability. Lucy wants to reassure him. She wants to be there for him. She doesn't understand his life or even what he really is, but she cares for him and she cares for Lisanna. She wasn't about to push them away. Not now.

"No matter what happens. No matter how bad things get..." she closes her eyes and gently presses her forehead to his. "I'm here for you."

She hears and feels Natsu's release of a shuddering sigh, before he laughs too softly. It doesn't sound like it has any humor to it.

"What do I have to do?"

Lucy opens her eyes and leans back slightly to see his distant eyes again. "What do you mean?"

"What do I have to do to get you to hate me?"

Lucy's eyes widen and her voice grows soft. "Natsu..." She tries to get up, but Natsu reaches out to stop her.

"Lucy, don't get up. You took a huge beating and I don't want you to pass out or anything," he warns her, keeping her close to him.

The blonde shakes her head in refusal and pushes away from him and on her wobbly feet. "I'm fine, I just need to..."

She doesn't get to finish her sentence as her mind becomes a hazy fog. Blood rushes from her head as wooziness makes her world spin.

"Lucy? Lucy!"

The last thing she remembers is Natsu's panicked voice as she collapses to the ground.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy wakes up in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone that left a comment or left kudos!
> 
> Sorry this chapter is so short, I feel like I should have added it to the previous one...oh well😅
> 
> Hope you enjoy it. With any luck (and sheer will power😣), the next chapter should be out by Friday, but I make no promises ~
> 
> Enjoy!

'Hnngh...where am I?'

Lucy couldn't see anything. There was just darkness. It's the kind of darkness that's so all-powerful and all-encompassing that all she wants to do is sleep. She still struggles against it and still, the World stayed void.

'What happened to me?'

_Where are they!?_

'What?'

_Don't play dumb with me!_

'That voice... _'_

" _Pathetic.'_

'Wait-'

_I can smell them on you. Where are they? Answer me!_

'...that man...who…?'

_You humans really do deserve to die._

'Wait, don't -'

_Let me show you how I deal with stupid humans who don't know their place!_

'N-No. NO! Stop!'

"Lucy. Hey, Lucy, wake up!"

The monster's voice vanishes as soon as the new one appears, but Lucy still can't see anything.

'Natsu? That was Natsu's voice….I-I remember. I remember – that man and Natsu...' The blonde girl searches in vain for the familiar pink-haired man – but the darkness remains. 'Natsu! Natsu, where are you!?'

"Lucy! Lucy, wake up!"

'Natsu?'

"Wake up, kitten!"

A flash of bright fluorescent light overtakes the darkness and the girl lets out a silent scream.

"Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes clench tightly when she first comes to – the light of the room too much for her to handle just yet. What happened. There was a monster. Natsu – he was calling her.

'A dream. Had it all been a dream?'

"I'll go and let the doctor know she's waking up," Lucy heard an unfamiliar voice say

"Thanks, Aries."

'Aqua?' Lucy calls out in her head, but frowns when she receives no answer. Willing herself to wake up further, Lucy groans as she does, before her eyes fluttered open, taking in the World around her.

She finds herself staring up at unfamiliar ceiling and she frowns deeper in her confusion, before groggily turning her heard to take in the rest of it.

'...I'm in a hospital room?'

If the iconic look of a patient's room wasn't enough proof, the sound of the beeping machines monitoring her heart rate and breathing definitely were enough to rid any of her doubts.

"Thank goodness, you're awake."

Lucy turns her head to see Aquarius sitting on a nearby chair, staring back down at her as she breaths a sigh of relief, before reaching out and squeezes Lucy's wrist. Her aunt's eyes are slightly swollen and Lucy realizes that the blue-haired women had been crying. She'd never seen that look on her aunt's face before. She feels guilt swell up in her chest almost instantly.

"Aqua...it's okay. I'm okay," the blonde whispers, blinking away the left over fogginess.

Aqua hushes her quickly and pulls her blonde hair behind her shoulders straight after. Lucy watches with worried, sorry eyes as her aunt fusses over her. She reaches out and gently grabs a hold of the busy hands and her aunt stills immediately.

"I'm okay, aunty. Really."

Aquarius smiles small at her then, nodding once. "I know, kid. I know."

Lucy smiles back, when her memory of exactly why she's here comes back to her. She remembers being attacked.

"Aqua..." Lucy says tensing, before swallowing, her nerves starting to build again. "Where is Natsu? He came with me."

Her aunt smiles a bit wider at the way her niece's eyes dart around the room for the missing boy. "Don't worry about him. He's okay," she reassures and Lucy looks back at her. "He's the one that called the ambulance and brought you to the hospital. The poor boy stayed by your side the entire time until the police showed up."

Lucy follows her aunt's gaze towards the door where she sees Natsu being questioned by the police outside. She notes the serious look in his eyes, a look of willful compliance that's undercut by distrust. Just by his body language, she can't help but feel like he's trying to protect himself in this situation, but why? He's the one that saved her from-"

That's when it all comes back to her – everything; the strange man with the sunglasses and the boy who shined like the sun. That boy...that boy was Natsu. Wasn't it?

As if on cure, Natsu's dark eyes snap over to her and she feels them pierce through her soul. She doesn't look away. She isn't sure if she wants to either.

The police officer looks over as well and smiles when he sees she's woken up. Lucy doesn't smile back.

"The police officer is going to ask you some questions," Aquarius said, her voice gentler than what Lucy was used to, but it wasn't like she didn't understand the reason for it. "Is that going to be okay?" Her voice was careful, like she was worried that Lucy would collapse again.

Lucy looks away from the doorway and turns back to give her aunt a reassuring smile, but before she can even answer, she hears footsteps and turns back to see Natsu and the officer walk into the room.

"Hello Miss Waters," the officer greets her aunt first. "Is it okay if I have a word with you for a sec before I talk to your niece? It won't take long." His friendly smile moves to Lucy, who bites her lips in return.

Aquarius frowns up at him from where she's still seated, not wanting to leave her niece's side just yet. However, she doesn't argue with the man and stands up. "Of course, officer." She then turns to look down at the blonde girl. "Lucy do you want me to get you anything while I'm out?"

Lucy shakes her head and Aqua gives her a nervous look, before turning to Natsu.

"Keep an eye on her, will you?"

Natsu gives a half nod in response and Aqua sighs, before going with the officer.

Lucy watches silently as her aunt and the officer exit the room. She's left alone with Natsu again who simply looks at her from across the room. A few seconds of silence fly by and Lucy smiles hesitantly at him – he stays expressionless.

Instead of walking to her or saying anything, however, Natsu makes his way over to the large window on the right side of the room. Lucy watches him with nervous eyes. He seems to be scanning for something as he looks out the window.

"Natsu?"

He doesn't do it immediately, but does eventually look back at her over his shoulder and Lucy can't take it anymore.

There's almost no pain in her body as she slowly pushes herself up from the hospital bed. That changes his expression to uneasy as he moves towards her.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" There's concern in his voice as he rushed over to her. His hands are – as expected – warm on her back and shoulder as he gently eases her back down onto the bed. "You're still recovering, kitten. Don't go all feral on me now."

Lucy pouts at that and allows him to push her back down to the pillows. "I just...I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her eyes find his and he sighs loudly.

"And you couldn't have done that by just asking me if I'm okay instead of straining yourself?"

The blonde girl flushes at the truthful statement, her eyes falling down to her white covers. "Yeah, I could have...but..."

"But what?"

She forces herself to meet his eyes again. "You just looked so worried about something. I didn't think, okay? And it's not like my body really hurts or anything. I won't break if I stand up."

Natsu pauses, before he sighs again as he shakes his head. Her shoulders feel cold when he pulls away and folds his arms over his chest.

"Why do you always have to cause trouble for me?" His hushed words have her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Not bothering to answer her question, Natsu simply looks at her with a soft, sad gaze. It only confuses her more, but before she can ask again, he clears his throat and his expression changes once more.

"Anyway, I have a favor to ask you..."

Lucy blinks in surprise. Did he seriously just dodge her question? That obviously? Maybe at this point she shouldn't really be surprised. Natsu never made things easy. She continues to stare at him expectantly, but he doesn't waver, so she sighs in defeat.

"What is it?"

Natsu turns his head back to the window outside, when he answers her. "...when the police officer comes back in, downplay my involvement in everything that happened tonight."

That catches her attention.

"Wait – what?" Lucy frowns, sitting up straighter, ignoring the annoyed look he shoots her as she does. "But why...what, I mean what do you want me to say?"

"Easy," he sighs, hands moving deep into his jean pockets. "You were being robbed – I showed up and scared the guy away and then I called the ambulance." He shrugs and turns fully to her. "I mean, that is basically what happened anyway."

She couldn't go against that. It was technically the truth, but...that wasn't all that happened. She knows that wasn't everything. She stares at Natsu, who looking back down at her with something almost desperate hidden in his eyes.

"Natsu, I-"

"Promise me this, Lucy."

Before Lucy can answer, footsteps approach once more as her aunt returns with the police officer. Aqua's eyes are instantly back in her niece as she enters the room.

"How are you feeling now, Lucy?"

Lucy glances back at Natsu, not yet over their previous conversation, but he isn't looking at her anymore – instead back to the window.

"Lucy?"

Looking back at her aunt, Lucy forces a smile on and nods. "I'm doing a lot better, Aqua. You don't need to worry about me."

"In that case, Miss Heartfilia," the officer voices kindly. "Think you can answer some questions for me now? You're aunt tells me you might need some more time?"

The question has Lucy stiffen under the covers and she thinks she sees Natsu do the same in the corner of her eye. "Uhm...sure." Her voice is unsure and when the officer gives her a worried look, she forces her nerves down. "Yes," she says more clearly. "I think I'm okay to answer some questions."

"Lucy, if you're not feeling up to it, you don't have to do this yet. This can always wait til tomorrow," her aunt assures, moving to stand beside her bed.

The blonde shakes her head and smiles. "I'm ready," she looks back at the officer. "Honestly, I'd rather just get it over with now."

The officer smile then, before taking out a pad of paper and then looks back down at her. "Now then, what do you remember of what happened at the library?" His smile wavers to something more on the lines of sympathetic guilt. "It only happened a couple of hours ago, and I know it's hard, but I hope that the trauma wasn't too bad and that it's still fresh in your mind."

Lucy smiles politely, but can't help but to peek back a Natsu, only to see him watching her over his shoulder – she can see bits of worry flicker through his eyes. He didn't need to be worried.

Lucy turns back to the officer and closes her eyes. "Well…it was late when I decided to go to the library to grab some books."

Aquarius grimaces at that part. There's self-loathing in her voice when she speaks up. "I never should have asked you to go. I'm so sorry, Lucy."

Lucy's eyes open and she looks at her aunt surprised, before grabbing her hand reassuringly. "Don't do that. This wasn't your fault. I wanted to go, remember?"

Aquarius doesn't return the smile and Lucy squeezes her hand in an attempt to convey her words, before turning back to the officer.

"When I was there, I saw this weird guy wearing sunglasses, even though it was pretty dark out." The memory of it flashes through her brain and Lucy shivers against her will, feeling her aunt move closer to her afterwards. She clears her throat, before going on with the story. "I didn't think much of it until I was leaving and he asked me to help jump his car."

Aquarius's hiss-like voice startles her.

"What kind of weirdo asks a young girl to help jump his car!?"

"Mam, please, let your niece continue," the officer begs with a tired stare. His voice much more lighter and gentle as he looks back to the laying girl and asks; "I take it that that was when he attacked you?"

Lucy nodded faintly, not wanting to get into too much detail about that part. She could still remember how much pain she had been in, how she had struggled to breath. The ghost of his hands still lingered around her neck and she swallowed. It was insane of how fine she felt now – she had thought it had been adrenaline when Natsu found her, but there wasn't much pain now.

"And what exactly was Natsu Dragneel's involvement in all of this?" the officer then asked, bringing Lucy out of her thoughts.

The blonde looks over at Natsu for help. He's still watching the scene before him, but now it looks like he isn't even breathing.

"He...scared the guy away," Lucy says without looking away from the pink-head, him meeting her eyes instantly at her words.

"Huh," the officer actually sounded surprised – like he found it hard to believe that Natsu would even bother helping someone else. To be fair...Lucy would have suspected the same thing not too long ago, but these people actually lived in the same town with him for years! "How did he scare your attacker away?"

That part was easy to answer.

"I don't know. I wasn't looking when it happened," she answered truthfully. All she remembered from that part was hearing Natsu scream  _"And stay down!"_. She hadn't actually seen Natsu fight the guy off or anything.

Her words seemed to be calm her male neighbor down, because Natsu seems to breath again and Lucy swallows. What had Natsu done to that man?

_Useless girl! Tell me where they are!_

"I was so scared – everything was just a blur..."

"Lucy," her aunt voices softly, her hands moving to rest on her niece's shoulders.

Lucy licks her lips, before turn away from Natsu's eyes and looking at the policeman. "I didn't see anything, but I heard Natsu's voice telling the guy to stop and well," she smiles small. "Here I am."

The policeman nods once, a sad smile on his face and Lucy wonders if he's been in lots of these situations. He then turns to look at Natsu.

A sort of tension fills the room then and Lucy's eyes dart between the officer and the now blank-faced Natsu, like he was on his guard.

"You did a good thing by protecting Miss Heartfilia and calling the ambulance," the officer says. There's something in his voice that confuses Lucy, but Natsu doesn't seem to notice – that or he's good at ignoring it. "Did either of you get a good look at the attacker?" The policeman looks back at Lucy. She swallows again.

"Uhm, I couldn't really see his face and like I said, it was really dark. I just know that he was wearing sunglasses." She wishes she had gotten a good look at him when she had managed to get his glasses off, but her frame of mind at the time wasn't the best.

"Same here," Natsu says.

The officer looks disappointed at this fact, but nods in understanding anyway. "Thank you, both of you, for cooperating." His eyes soften on Lucy again. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. We'll do whatever we can to find this creep."

Lucy smiles again at him, even if it feels more forced than honest. She wasn't sure what would happen if they did find the monster – he was inhuman.

"Please, if there's anything else you remember, let me know." With that said, the officer turns to talk to the aunt. Lucy eyes stray back to Natsu when he does, to find her rescuer smiling at her.

It's a small smile, one more relieved than happy. He mouths out the words  _thank you_  and Lucy smiles back at him in answer.

After talking with her aunt, the officer's radio crackles and all eyes fly to him as he reaches for it on his belt.

**Code 18 on Wellsprings Road. Victim is female, 16 to 17 years of age. Possible DOA. EMT on the scene.**

Lucy's breath catches at the radio message.

"Shit," the officer swears under his breath.

Lucy's eyes shoot up to the doctor's face and her blood runs cold from the look on his face. "What does that mean?" she asks, her voice quiet. "What happened?" She feels her aunt's hands rest on her shoulder and when she looks up at her, she sees an uneasy expression.

The officer shakes his head, before turning to Lucy, who meets his stare. She frowns at the silence.

"Was some girl attacked last night?" her chest clenches suddenly. 'Was it the same guy who attacked me? Did he go after some other innocent girl after me?' She hoped it wasn't the case.

The policeman sighs then. "No, sounds like she had a heart attack."

Lucy grips the cover over her lap as she frowns at the officer. "A heart attack? At 16? That's insane." Her thoughts run wild with questions and fear. She didn't know the town very well yet. Was Wellsprings Road close to the library?

The officer looked troubled as he put away his radio, before looking at them again. "Don't worry about it," he instructs, his voice gentle, but assuring. "Anyway, I have to get going. Stay safe, all of you, okay?"

Lucy wants to ask more about the girl, her chest aching with her inner fears, but he leaves in a rush. As soon as he's gone, a man dressed in a doctor's outfit – the doctor assigned to her, Lucy assumed, enters right after.

His smile is a huge contrast to the atmosphere, but he doesn't seem to catch on.

"Good news! No concussions. No broken bones. In fact, despite everything you went through, you're in the clear, if you don't count the bruises that is," the doctor says happily to Lucy. "You can be discharged tonight if you want."

Lucy wants to be as relieved as the doctor, but finds it hard to believe his words. She was fine? So all that being thrown around and stuff hadn't done anything? Had she just imagined the pain?

She hears her aunt sigh a sigh of relief and then feels Aqua squeeze her shoulder again. Lucy starts at the feeling, before meeting her aunt's tired gaze.

"Give me a second to grab my stuff, I'll drive you home as soon as-"

Sorry, Miss Waters," the doctor interrupts, his voice hesitant. "But we actually need you down the hall."

Immediately, it looks like a storm washes over her aunt's features as she turns to face the doctor. Lucy knows that look all too well.

"You've  _got_  to be kidding. My niece-"

"Is just fine," he doctor interrupts again, but shrinks into his white coat a bit after the words leave his thin lips. "We only need you for a quick procedure – I would ask you if we weren't so short staffed."

Aquarius's mouth is curled into a snarl and Lucy knows something cruel is about to come out of it – so she intervenes.

"Aqua – it's okay!" She says fast, one hand grasping onto her aunt's navy blue coat. "Really, just go. I can wait," her voice pleading, but soft. The last thing that needed to happen now was her aunt getting into a heated argument with a staff member.

The doctor turned to smile thankfully at Lucy – Aqua on the other hand, frowned deeply.

"Fine," the blue-haired women said while glaring daggers at the doctor, making him shrink some more. When his chin was almost fully tucked away, Aqua turned back down to her niece, giving Lucy a meaningful look. "I won't be long."

Aquarius then stomped out the room, the doctor trailing behind her in a rush to where ever the procedure needed to be done.

Left alone again in the quiet room, Lucy turns back to Natsu. His eyes meet hers instantly. She sees something flicker in them, but isn't sure what. She has a feeling it was worry though.

He knew she was about to bombard him with questions – she wasn't about to prove him wrong.

"Natsu...who was that guy?" It wasn't the best time for this conversation and probably not the ideal place, but she wanted to know.

"Which guy?" was his response, his expression carefully blank.

"The guy that attacked me!"

Natsu frowns at her tone and crosses his arms. "Just because I have a bad attitude, it doesn't mean that I know psychos."

Lucy wants to scream. Why was he dodging her questions again? It wasn't like they could just pretend it didn't happen, she'd seen too much. She's about to question him again, when she hears a voice echoing from down the hall.

"Where is she!? Where's Lucy!?"

'Is that…!'

Lucy's eyes widen at the voice and both her and Natsu turn towards the door.

'Lisanna.'

She hears a nurse yelling from from outside saying that Lisanna shouldn't run inside the hospital, before Lisanna bursts into the room – a trail of whispers from the other doctors and nurses following behind her.

"Lucy!" Lisanna gasps when her widened eyes find her friend in the hospital bed. "Oh no, Lucy, are you okay?"

"Lisanna, you-" Lucy stops when she catches the frown Natsu makes in the corner of her eye as he steps towards the frantic girl.

"Lisanna, don't make such a huge scene coming in, she's fine."

Lisanna only ignores her brothers words – she doesn't even spare him a glance as she beelines straight to Lucy's bedside.

"Lucy, are you okay?" she asks again, her eyes scanning her as she does.

Lucy feels gratitude wash over her. Lisanna should be yelling at her in a rage for going against her clear warning, but instead she's here fussing over her. Even if Lucy didn't want it, she'd understand I Lisanna came in saying that "she'd told her so". Lucy didn't deserve a friend like her.

"I...thank you, but you didn't have to come here," the blonde's voice was soft, almost unsure if she should still have the nerve to speak to her friend.

"Don't be ridiculous," the silver-head dismisses. "Of course I had to, seriously, are you alright?"

Lucy smiles faintly. "I mean, I could be better, I guess."

Lisanna shakes her head and closes her eyes in slight frustration. "Sorry, that was such a stupid thing to ask. How can anyone be okay after what you've been through."

For the first time since she came in, Lucy notices the tears threatening to fall from the corners of her friend's eyes. A lump forms in her throat automatically in horror. 'Oh Lisanna...'

Reaching out, Lucy takes the other girl's pale, shaking hands and smiles reassuringly.

"No, really, L. I'm okay," she says with a squeeze.

Lisanna looks down at the hands and gives a weak smile, before squeezing too. She gives a small sniff and it has Lucy only feeling worse about herself. "What injuries do you have?"

Lucy lets out a tired breath. "Nothing serious. I'm just a little banged up." Which she was still trying to come to terms with, it had felt like her skull had been cracked, but apparently she had been mistaken.

Lisanna nods, but doesn't answer – more focused on processing something in her head, before letting of the blonde girl's hand and turning to look at Natsu.

"How did this happen? Natsu-" her voice cracks then and Natsu scowl deepens.

"Lis, not now." There's a serious tone to his voice – an urgency.

Lisanna clenches her eyes closed again and shakes her head. "None of this was supposed to happen. I'm so sorry."

Lucy listens with growing confusion. 'Is she talking to me? Or to Natsu?' Either way, she can hear how torn up her friend was….and she wanted it to stop.

This was HER fault. Not Lisanna's. Not Natsu's. Hers.

"I-I'm sorry, L." Lucy stutters out, not having the courage to look up at her as she says it. "I shouldn't have gone off on my own like that. You warned me and I-I didn't listen."

The silver-haired girl turns sharply to look at Lucy, her pretty eyes wide and teary. "No, no. It's fine. it's no ones fault. You don't have to apologize for anything, you're the victim here." Lisanna smiles at her in an attempt to ease her worries, but the smile doesn't fully reach her eyes. Her mouth opens and closes as if she wants to tell her more, but can't – or doesn't know how to start.

"L...you can trust me." She doesn't know what else to say, but she means it. Whatever it is that they're keeping from her, she wants them to know that she's trustworthy.

Lisanna laughs a bit at her words, a laugh that rings hollow, despite the bits of hope in it. When she looks at her again, her words are sad. "I know I can trust you. It's just..." she trails off and steals a brief glance at Natsu, then sighs as she looks back at the blonde. "I don't know. There's just a lot going on, that's all."

Lucy sighs as she looks back at her. "You're making it seem like it's your fault I got attacked."

Lisanna hesitates, before answering; "In some ways it is, I know you don't understand, but I think you should...trust me." She gives her a pleading look. "Lucy, this won't happen again. I promise." The smile Lisanna gives her this time is grim, but determined as if it's a pact she's making with herself. "You're my friend and I'm not letting anyone hurt you."

The man's words echo in her head then.  _"Where are they!?"_ Was it really them he was looking for?

A knock at the door sounds and the three teenagers turn to see her now much calmer aunt standing in the doorway.

Lucy relaxes, the atmosphere still stiff, but wavering with her aunt's appearance. "Aqua, you don't have to knock." Her aunt smiles at her then, but it seems off. "Is everything okay?"

"I have some bad news, kid," Aquarius says, but pauses when her eyes go to Lisanna in slight surprise. "Well, good to see your friend is here at least." She smiles at Lisanna, but Lucy can see through the mask. Her aunt was stalling.

"Of cause I'm here to see Lucy. I'm so sorry this happened." Lisanna isn't as frigid now with her aunt like earlier, but Lucy figures that it has something to do with the circumstances.

Aquarius smiles a bit more genuinely this time. "I'm glad that the three of you are friends."

"Aqua, please," Lucy says when her aunt still won't look at her. "What's going on?"

Her aunt frowns then, a bit of her previous anger making another appearance in her expression, but she sighs in resignation. "Look, Lucy, I tried to get those idiots to let me off so I can take you home, but..."

The way she trails off leaves a sinking feeling in Lucy's gut. Her aunt wasn't going home with her. She just got stalked and nearly died tonight, but she's going to end up being all alone in that big house. Tears threaten to spill down her cheeks as she comes to this realization, but she forces them back.

Her hands ball into fists as she tries to fight the storm brewing inside her. She wants to scream and throw a tantrum and just get angry, but at the same time...this was her aunt's job. Lucy, herself was fine – no real injuries. There were other patients who actually needed her aunt's attention right now. Her thoughts wander to the call the policeman received about the girl who had a heart attack.

'Girls like her.' Who was she to be selfish right now?

Swallowing away her disappointment, Lucy shakes her head at her aunt, a small smile on her lips to ease the women's worry. "Listen, Aqua. Don't stress okay? I'm a big girl. I'll just call for a ride." 'They have taxis here, right?'

Aquarius looks more sorry than pissed right now and she sighs before answering. "Don't bother with that. I may be a bad aunt, bu I at least managed to get you a lift home. One of the receptionists offered to drive you."

"No, it's okay. I really don't want to be a bother-"

"Besides," her aunt adds, her jaw clenching. "After everything that's happened, I don't want you getting into cars with strangers."

"Aqua-"

"Um, Miss Waters?" Lisanna buts in and both Lucy and her aunt look at the pixie girl. "Natsu and I...we can take Lucy home if you'd like?"

Lucy gives Lisanna a grateful smile, which she returns, even if a bit smaller.

"Are you sure?" Aqua asks, her eyes moving to Natsu. "Your brother, he's already done so much already."

"It's fine." Natsu's voice is clipped, terse, as if he's daring someone to question his decision and Lucy looks at him. He's officially gone back to his distant, expressionless look.

Aquarius seems vaguely hesitant, before nodding her consent and then looks at her niece. "Are you okay with this, Lucy?"

The blonde nods. "It's a good idea. We live in the same area, right?"

Her aunt smiles faintly, before turning to the siblings. "If she seems in any way out of character, you call me immediately. No, call 911." Her voice is professional, like she's talking to a patient's parent.

Natsu smiles back at her, but it's not real. Lucy's seen his real smile and that wasn't it. "Will do," he promises.

Her aunt sighs tensely and walks over to her, planting a kiss on her temple. "Get some rest and don't push yourself, you hear me? I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

It doesn't take long for Lisanna to arrange Lucy's checkout form from the hospital and also find a wheelchair for her – something Lucy argues against for several minutes, until Natsu decides he's had enough and plucks her (to her utter embarrassment) and sets her in it. She doesn't dare try to get up.

Before long, she's being wheeled out by Natsu as Lisanna goes to get her car.

Ever since her aunt left them alone, Natsu hasn't said one word to her – even as he wrestled her into the dumb chair. Lucy hadn't forced him to speak again, not wanting to get on his nerves after everything he's done for her tonight, but...the silence proves too much for her.

Brown eye take in the parking area, searching for Lisanna's familiar Chev as they stand just outside the entrance. It's still night time, but the wind isn't bad. Lucy isn't very concerned with the coldness either right now.

"You know, for some reason, Lisanna's taking this whole thing really hard." Lucy's words are soft, not really expecting Natsu to answer back or give his thoughts. She just wanted to voice her own. "It's as if she blames herself for my own stupid mistake."

Natsu, as predicted, doesn't say a word and Lucy sighs despite herself, before settling back into her chair. Why hadn't she just listened to Lisanna? None of this would have happened. Her eyes close at her own self-resentment.

"I just...I wish I could make her understand that it's not her fault. She tried to warn me and I didn't listen."

"...It's not really your fault either, kitten."

Lucy's eyes open slowly, before looking up at Natsu, only to see him looking up at the night sky.

"My sister," Natsu voices, slightly distracted. "She just doesn't like seeing good people get hurt."

Lucy's eyes narrow back to her lap at his words. That may be true, but...Lucy had been the one to cause it.

There's a flash of light as Lisanna's car pulls up, the headlights shining brightly in the dark. Lucy shields her eyes as it parks in front of them, only catching the frame of her friend's head as she calls from the driver's side window. "Come on, let's go!"

Natsu abandons Lucy for a moment as he moves to open the back door, before looking down at her. In the darkness, the concern in his eyes shines brighter than any star. Lucy's breath catches at the sight, but turns away in her own guilt. That look is her fault.

She braces her hands on the armrests to get up, when he places a hand out for her to take. Lucy stops short and looks from his hand to his eyes questioningly.

"Let me help you, Lucy, please."

She doesn't deserve it, he's help, but there's something in his voice that makes her unable to decline. Smiling at him in thanks, Lucy places her hand in his. The instant her hand touches his, however, she feels a warmth flood through her. The feeling it brings is like sunlight on a crisp summer day and it fills her soul with strength. Like a flame that won't burn out.

"Watch your step," the pink-head warns gently and keeps her steady as she stands up, wobbling a bit from the sudden head rush.

Lucy manages not to stumble as he gets her into the backseat. She thinks he's going to leave her then, but is surprised when he's reaches over to strap her in too.

"Um...I think I can handle the seat belt myself," she blushes.

"I'd honestly rather not take the chance tonight," he says back and she bites her lip.

"...I'm really sorry about all of this, Natsu." She hears him sigh – the same time the seat belt click into place.

Natsu doesn't move too far away when he meets her eyes with a serious look. "Stop apologizing for stupid stuff. None of this is your fault, okay?"

Lucy wants to argue – to melt back into her own pity party, but the warning look she gets from him when he catches on, forces her down a different path.

"You're right...I'm sorry."

Natsu rolls his eyes at her second apology in a row, before he chuckles softly. Lucy bites her lips again at the sound, but for a different reason this time, not being able to stop the flutter in her chest.

"You're so weird," he breaths. There's no annoyance in his voice when he says it though, just concern as he looks at her.

Lucy internally gasps at the soft look in those usually dark eyes. Seems she's been seeing that look a bit more lately. She just wishes it was there more often.

Natsu's eyes flicker away from hers for a second, before meeting her brown ones again. "I'm gonna close the door now. Try not to accidentally fall out the window?"

Lucy huffs halfheartedly at the weak jab, but then nods, her heart still fluttering in her chest, no matter how much she tells it to stop.

When he leaves her, door shut, Lucy lets out a weak breath, when something catches her eye. Looking up, she sees Lisanna staring at her in the review mirror with curious and complicated eyes. Lucy blushes again instantly, but mercifully, Lisanna doesn't say anything. Though, Lucy kinda wishes the silver-haired girl had been more conversational before witnessing the embarrassing moment.

Was it really embarrassing? Was she just reading too much into it? Yeah – obviously. Nothing weird was happening between her and Natsu – he was just consoling her. She had just been attacked after all.

The blonde's face only grows more red, however, when Natsu climbs in next to her from the other side.

* * *

Once their driving, Lucy finds herself drifting in and out of wakefulness.

She guesses that all the painkillers they must have given her are starting to get her. Try as she might to stay awake and alert, she soon realizes that she's fighting a loosing battle.

"Hey, if you're tired, just go to sleep."

Natsu's voice seems far off, like a distant dream as her eyelids grow heavier and heavier. She absently feels a pair of strong arms pull her in and enfold her in their embrace.

'What is he doing?'

Despite the questions running through her brain, Lucy feels herself draw closer into the warmth that floods through her once more. If that alone wasn't enough to get her to fall asleep, the sound of Natsu's steady heartbeat is better than any lullaby and sleep quickly starts to fog up her mind.

"You did something, didn't you? It's stronger now," Lisanna's soft voice sounds from the front seat.

A low sigh follows after in answer.

"Natsu..."

"I didn't mean to, it just…happened."

* * *

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona meets another friend of the Dragneel siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 8 - sorry for the late update, but I did say no promises for last Friday ;D
> 
> Anyway, thanks you all SO much for all the wonderful reviews~ They were amazing and I always love hearing what you guys think of the chapters. 
> 
> This chapter, hopefully, will not disappoint you and I'm almost done with chapter 9 (*o*)
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! Please let me know your thoughts!
> 
>  
> 
> PS: Sorry for any grammar mistakes. Soldier through them!

 

* * *

When Lucy opens her eyes again, daylight was peeking through her living room window.

'I'm home...'

Unfocused, brown eyes glance at the window – the curtains still drawn back from the night before. She blinked at the harsh sunlight shining through.

'It's morning. How long have I been asleep?'

Looking away with slow movements, Lucy's eyes slipped closed again, her head pounding with lingering fatigue as she pulled the warm blanket closer to her face. She could probably try to get some more sleep – but it might be a good idea to change into some more comfortable clothes. She realized that she was still wearing yesterdays outfit, she could feel the less than comfortable material chaffing against her skin. _Gross._  Why didn't she change into some pajamas last night? Or more importantly; how did she end up here anyways? Did Natsu and Lisanna set her up on the couch?

The idea was sweet, but, they should have woken her up…she wondered if her aunt had gotten back yet. It wasn't rare for her to work full night shifts, but hadn't Aqua said she would be back as soon as she could get off? Was she here? What was the time anyway?

The blonde opened her eyes again, ignoring the pained headache and the urge to go back to sleep. Still too exhausted to get up fully, Lucy blindly felt around for her phone. It had to be here somewhere, right?

"You awake there, kitten?"

'Kitten?' Lucy's heart leaps at the sound of Natsu's voice as a flush rushes to her cheeks. The tired girl almost jolts upwards, pulling the blanket with her to cover her fully clothed body, but just manages to stay on the couch and not embarrass herself further. She's half laying/half sitting on the couch, her body turned to look towards the voice.

Natsu was sitting on the other end, right next to her feet.

"Natsu?"

The male only gives a half smile – one that's just as lazy as she feels. One look at his attire and Lucy can bet he had been sleeping too, just maybe not as long as she had been. She lays still and slightly shocked at the fact that her male neighbor was sitting right next to her while she had been sleeping. Had she been snoring?  _Please no_  – this was Natsu, he'd never let her live it down! Had she said anything in her sleep? Lucy paled at the very idea – she didn't remember having any dreams, but she had been known for talking while she slept. She could only hope that _if_ she did say anything – it was in gibberish.

"You alright there, kitten?" His voice was rougher than usual, but  _damn it_ , does it make her stomach flip, not to mention the way his hair was out of control, pink ends sticking up everywhere and some of it falling over his eyes, yet it only made him hotter. It wasn't fair. She could only imagine what she must look like in that moment.

She didn't even want to know how bad her hair must look like right now. At least it didn't feel like she had any drool on her face.

"Lucy?"

She doesn't answer his question, her eyes still wide and confused and it must look pretty funny, because it makes the boy laugh. Natsu's chuckle reverberates in his chest as she sits there – immobile.

"You know, I was going to put you into your bed, but you just refused to let go of me – well until about a little while ago."

"I  _what!?_ "

Natsu was down right smirking at whatever face she was making now – whatever it was, he seemed to find it highly amusing.

After a minute of awkward silence (mainly on her part) Lucy managed to look away from the proud-faced boy, clearing her throat as she does. She distracts herself by looking around the room, when her eyes land on the other couch in the corner.

Lisanna was laying sideways, fast asleep on it. The girl's pretty face was peaceful and slightly covered with her silvery hair. Porcelain arms were tucked under her head as a pillow, her bare feet sticking out of the pale, blue blanket she must have found in the cupboards.

So, both of them  _had_  stayed here. Lucy smiled at the sight of her sleeping friend, touched that the girl would choose to stay her with her all night. Maybe she should have expected it. She was grateful to Natsu too, even if the idea of him sleeping on the same couch as her was incredibly embarrassing.

"She tried to stay up the whole night. Kept saying that she wanted to be there for you when you woke up," Natsu said quietly and Lucy peeked back over to him. His eyes were soft as he looked at his sleeping sibling, before an amused smiled graced his face. "As you can see, that didn't work out."

The blonde nods with a small smile at the information and then looks back at Lisanna. The room was quiet then, neither person speaking again and Lucy felt her body frigid with something to say. Why was this so awkward?

"How you feeling?" His question was soft and a little out of the blue, but Lucy forced herself to answer it, still making sure to look anywhere but the man next to her.

"Good...though honestly, my back hurts a bit from sleeping on the couch."

Natsu chuckles again, this time Lucy can sense a hint of guilt sounding in it. "Maybe I should have fought a bit harder in getting you to your bed," he says afterwards and Lucy smiles through a blush at his sort of apology.

He leaves it at that and after a small moment, Lucy sighs.

"Natsu?"

"Hm?"

Gathering up her courage and telling herself that her hair wasn't so bad – after all, if you think it hard enough, you might actually believe it – Lucy slowly turned to look at Natsu. When he met her eyes, she had to stop herself from shying away again.

"I forgot," she started quietly, not wanting to wake up Lisanna after everything she'd done for her. "Did I...did I ever thank you for taking me home?"

Natsu huffs at the question and then stretches his arms over the couch. His eyes slip closed as he settled into a more comfortable position and Lucy wonders if he had actually gotten much sleep last night sitting upright like that. "Does it matter whether or not you thanked me?"

Lucy frowned guiltily at his words, before shrugging. "Well, considering after everything you did for me last night, yeah, I think so."

Another moment of silence passes, before Natsu opens his eyes to look at her. She meets the stare and for a while they stay like that – just watching the other person.

Natsu's the first one to break the silence when he looks away from her, a tired sigh leaving his lips.

"I...I don't know."

Lucy frowns again and shuffles up higher on the couch. "What do you mean, you don't know?" She sighs when he won't look at her and she shifts again, bringing her legs up close to her chest and folds her arms around them. "Why don't you ever say what mean?" the blonde complains under her breath. "You're always so cryptic."

Natsu groans lowly at her irritated tone and she watches him run his hands through his hair, messing it up further in the process.

"I mean exactly that, kitten: I don't know," he repeats and doesn't say anything after that.

Lucy bites the inside her lip at that and then sighs. "You're not good at taking compliments are you?"

Natsu spares her a half look, pink eyebrow lifting. "What makes you say that?"

"You're not good at taking 'thanks you's."

The pink-head's lips tilt up lightly before he shrugs. "I just find them a waste of time..." he pauses, before turning to look at her fully. Lucy tilts her head. "...You're welcome, I guess."

Lucy smiles then, a bit more satisfied now and then moves to get off the couch, pushing back the blanked. She doesn't get very far though when a wave of wooziness stops her and she sits back down.

"Still tired?"

Despite her embarrassment, Lucy lets out a small laugh at herself and gives a shy nod. "Yeah, maybe a bit." She looks back at him to see his expression change thoughtfully.

"What?"

Natsu seems to hesitate, before sitting up straighter. "What do you remember from last night?" The questions catches her off guard and she takes a minute to gather her thoughts.

There was no point in lying. She could remember a lot of things. "I remember being attacked," she says slowly and clearly, watching his reaction. He doesn't give anything away. "There was also a guy, some crazy guy who just attacked me." Natsu nods.

"Do you remember any specific details at all about what happened at the library?" His expression was still calm, but there was something in his voice that went against it.

Lucy's brain runs back to the image of the man in sunglasses – the memory of his hissing at her draws out a shiver from the blonde. Natsu's expression shifts to more of a worried one. "He didn't act like a regular psychopath," she says after a second and after processing her own words, she swallows through a smile. "Then again, what do psychopaths act like?"

He doesn't smile with her, something like resentment crossing his features. Lucy's eyes flicker down to her hands at the look, trying to focus more on remembering her attacker.

"...There was something else that was really weird."

"What was it?" Natsu asks and Lucy meets his eyes again, pausing to search his own darker ones.

"I think I told you last night that he kept asking me where  _they_  were, but he never told me who he meant." She just barely notices his breathing hitch. She took that as a sign to continue. "He, uh, there was also something about there being a  _trace_ on me? He said he could smell it on me."

"He sounds like he escaped from a mental hospital."

Lucy frowns. "Really?" her voice critical. "Because I don't think all people with mental illnesses act like that..."

Natsu looks away from her, his eyes more interested in the window, his voice mono when he speaks. "He's spouting nonsense that makes no sense. Don't think too much about it."

"Hard not to, when you're the girl being confronted about it." Natsu sighs again and Lucy turns away from him. "Look...I think there's something more to this whole situation…and I think you know too?"

"You're just saying that because you want there to be more," Natsu says back, his voice bordering more on being annoyed now. "Why can't you just accept that it was just some random attacker? It happens."

'Why do you have to keep brushing things off like something weird didn't happen?' She'd bring up the fact that she still remembers seeing a boy surrounded by fire – which she believed was him – but she was pretty sure now that he'd just say she had been hallucinating.

Had she been hallucinating? She was sure she hadn't imagined all those strange things that guy had asked her, but the boy on fire – was that real? She'd also thought that she's hurt her head and even some bones, but here she was, perfectly fine.

Everything...everything was just so confusing.

"Listen," Natsu voices and Lucy looks back at him. "I don't want Lisanna to be freaked out by this whole thing, so just drop it – at least around her, okay?" His voice is almost pleading when he says this and Lucy blinks confused.

Lisanna.

Her eyes moved to look back at the girl still soundly sleeping. If something weird really was going on with them, could it mean that Lisanna was in danger too? Had the they really referred to Natsu and Lisanna?

Or was Natsu just worried about freaking out his sister with all the missing girls?

"She's easily scared," Natsu adds when Lucy stayed quiet. "Please don't worry her with crazy stories. She might end up doing something stupid. I want to keep her safe." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I know you're full of questions – I get it. It was one hack of a shitty experience, but -" He sighs again and Lucy meets his tired eyes. "Promise me that you'll keep all of this stuff from Lis, Lucy."

There's an emotional roughness to his voice, as if there's some hurt lurking beneath his tough exterior. He wanted to protect his sister and considering the type of guy that attacked her...Lucy got that easily. How was she supposed to be angry about that?

"Okay, fine," Lucy says softly. "I won't bring it up to Lisanna. At least not all the...weird stuff."

Slowly, she sees Natsu start to relax again and he exhales deeply, before closing his eyes. Lucy watches him in that quiet moment and notices, that despite everything, there's still trouble stirring within him. There's something lingering around him, it never fully leaves. She's noticed it before.

"Natsu...did something happen to you? To you and Lisanna?"

The pink-head gives her a confused look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Lucy shrugs. "You don't have to answer me, but...I think something happened to you when you were young and you don't want that thing to happen to Lisanna."

Natsu regards her for a moment, before scoffing softly and she sees him actually roll his eyes through closed eyelids.

"As if anything could happen to me..." he starts, before opening his eyes slowly. "But something did sort of happen to my family." Lucy watches curiously as he leans forward and rests his arms over his knees.

"Your family?"

Natsu doesn't look at her, dark eyes focused on his sleeping sibling. "...My family...we're sort of closed off from the rest of the world."

"Why?" Lucy asks, unconsciously moving closer to him.

He barely smiles then, a joke Lucy obviously wasn't included in. "If I told you why we're closed off, it would kinda ruin it for us."

Lucy hummed at that, pushing down the disappointment. "That makes sense, I guess."

"Do things always have to make sense to you?" He tilts his head to look at her through his messy fringe.

It sounds like he's teasing her, but she can't help but feel that he just asked her a serious question, but before she can answer – she hears a soft groan from the corner. Both teenagers turn away to see Lisanna stirring awake, her eyes clenching slightly, before those long, pale eyelashes flutter open.

Unfocused eyes blink back at them confusingly, before widening slight and faster than Lucy would recommend, Lisanna bolts upwards into a sitting position, her short locks pouncing at the action, before falling down prettily.

"Lucy, you're awake!" Lisanna's voice is still mingled with sleep and Lucy smiles at the small girl, before glancing back at Natsu. He meets her eye – an odd expression there – before he turning to his sister.

When he does, there's a smile on his face – much more easy and relaxed than earlier. "That's right, she just got up. I'm surprised she didn't wake up earlier with all your snoring."

"Hey, I wasn't snoring!" the girl turns to glare at him, frowning sleepily. Lucy giggles softly at the grumpy face her makes. She can't help it, it may just be the cutest she's ever seen Lisanna yet.

Natsu chuckles too and Lisanna rolls her pretty, crystal, blue eyes, before looking back at Lucy. A troubled look then falls over her face, before asking; "I didn't really wake you, did I?"

Lucy gives a reassuring smile and shakes her head. "No, come on, L. You know your brother is an awful tease."

"Hey, I wasn't teasing," Natsu pipes in, defending himself. "Lis only stopped snoring after you woke up, Lucy!"

"Or maybe it was your own snoring that woke you up, Natsu," Lisanna offers teasingly and waves an accusing finger at her brother, giggling when he frowns. "You and your gigantic snore-fests can be heard for miles sometimes!"

Natsu rolls his eyes at the jab and Lisanna takes that chance to stretch victoriously, yawning as she does. "Anyway," she looks back at Lucy. "I'm glad you're okay and that you seem better this morning, Lucy. I was really worried you know?"

Lucy smiles with guilt at her friend. I am good...thanks, L. Really." She catches the way Lisanna and Natsu quickly exchange glances, before Lisanna turns back to her again.

"It's getting a bit late, so we're gonna head home; catch a shower, get dressed. Plus the others are probably wondering where we are," she says thoughtfully, referring to their friends Lisanna had left to go hang out with last night. She gives Lucy a worried look then, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. "Will you be alright by yourself? Do you want me to stay a bit longer until your aunt gets home?"

Lucy's quick to shake her head. She really was feeling a lot better than before – especially now that the sun was up. Besides, she couldn't expect her friend to stay with her 24/7.

"No, that's okay. I wanna take a bath and get hospital smell off of me," Lucy says with a smile that doesn't seem to convince Lisanna very well.

Still, the silver-haired beauty doesn't argue and slowly moves to stand up and then quickly gathering up the blanket and folding it neatly on the couch. When she's done, she looks back at Lucy, the worry not yet vanished from her eyes and Lucy sighs theatrically.

"L, I'm okay. I promise not to cry myself to death or break into my aunt's liquor cabinet."

Lisanna frowns at that. "That's not funny."

"But it's reassuring to know, right?" Lucy says back with a grin.

Lisanna rolls her eyes, before allowing a small smile. "Fine...um, what do you think about going shopping next week? I need some school supplies and I can show you some of the clothing stores?"

"Sounds fantastic. Just the thing I need to look forward to," Lucy hums and Lisanna smiles properly now, happiness overtaking her and she claps her hands, before giving a thumbs up.

"Awesome!" Lucy laughs at the wink she receives straight after.

After Lisanna practically skips off out of her house, Natsu turns to look at her with a serious expression. Lucy is starting to get used to all his mood swings – more than she'd like to be. She's prepared for some cryptic warning or vague saying, but instead he just says:

"Go shower, kitten. You look like you could use a bit of refreshing." The smirk returns when she frowns unhappily at him and then he gets up and follows after his sister.

All alone again, the house is consumed by silence and Lucy slumps back against the couch and looks up at the ceiling, reflecting on the past several hours.

She'd been attacked and she was pretty sure her attacker wasn't even human – or at least not the usual kind.

'The usual kind?' Was that really how she was thinking now? It could be possible that the guy was just insane and….was hyped up on steroids?

Lucy sighs at her own, disheveled thoughts. 'Maybe I'm the one that's going crazy? Or maybe it's the world that's gone nuts.'

* * *

The week passes by in a blur and soon she's standing in one of the only clothing stores in the small town. They were shopping today – her and Lisanna. It had been something Lucy had been looking forward to all week; a nice, normal shopping trip was just what the doctor ordered.

Even if it was in a small town with barely any clothing stores, but Lucy was trying to stay positive today. Throughout the whole week, her aunt hadn't let her leave the house – even when she had to go off to work at the hospital. When she did go to work, Aqua had made Lisanna stay with her, which in itself wasn't bad, but Lucy did feel like she was being babysat.

And she honestly didn't need it. During the day, she was fine and even at night, Lucy didn't sit in the corner and cry. Her sleep problems, however, have gotten worse.

Yesterday, Lucy had finally had enough and had managed to get her aunt to relax around her. She was fine. Totally okay.

Her aunt had eventually given in, but Lucy was forbidden from going anywhere at night – at least not by herself. Lucy didn't have an issue there.

So that brings them to today, Lucy following Lisanna as she guided her to all the possible clothing stores her small town had to offer. They had already gotten all the boring stuff (school supplies, etc). It had been the first thing they got, before the fun really started.

Shopping with Lisanna was fun. Lucy had only got shopping a couple of times with her old friends back in Florida, but it wasn't quite like this. Lisanna seemed to bright up the room, anywhere she was and she was just so excited about everything. It was refreshing.

A couple hours later and the two girls had done a fair amount of clothes-shopping. Lucy had to admit, though it was no brand stores, the clothes for offer weren't half bad. She had already bought a few new items and had even planned her first day outfit for school. She was dying to go home and try them on.

"Okay, new clothes for the new school semester? Check," Lisanna declared as she walked over to Lucy who was standing at the door – everything already paid for. Both girls carried bags full of clothing items. There's an excited and carefree look on her face and Lucy finds herself smiling too. "Thanks for coming with me Lucy. It's so much more fun doing this with someone else and not by yourself."

Lucy tilts her head at that. "Don't your other friends go shopping with you?"

"Nah," Lisanna shrugs, not dropping her happy expression. "It's not really their thing, you know?"

Lucy nods and sees her friend begin to tap her lip. "What?"

Lisanna grins at the blonde, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Shopping  _does_ take a lot out of a person. How about we go grab something to eat? I know a good place."

The grumble that sounds from Lucy's stomach at the words has her smiling bashfully. "Lisanna, I think you might be on to something. I'm starving."

* * *

The Smoke Hole Diner that Lisanna takes them to reminds Lucy of a time capsule from the 1950s.

All that was missing are the mini skirts and roller skates. The tiled floor was checkered with black and white blocks and the comfortable-looking booths were bright red. The counter near the cash register had red, cushioned bar stools as extra seat options and the white walls were decorated with classic CD posters.

Lucy actually, kinda loved it – it felt like she had just stepped into one of those old-timely, cheesy movies.

"Well? What do you think?"

Lucy turned to see Lisanna looking at her with an excited expression and the blonde shrugged with a giggly smile.

"Okay, I'll admit it. This place is pretty cool." It wasn't what she expected when Lisanna said it was a diner they were heading to, Lucy would have preferred a nice cafe' or something, but she had insisted.

Lucy steps further into the diner – noting that the place was fairly full for the time of the day, but there were still some booths open. Whispers of the other customers filled the air as they continued their own conversations, their voices mingling with the low hum of some oldies tone playing in the background.

"I can see why people would want to come here," Lucy says, looking back at the silver-head. "It's got a cool vibe about it. It's different."

Lisanna grins wider at the praised words, as if she herself owned the place. She was obviously proud of herself for taking Lucy here.

"It's the place to be, and not just for the atmosphere – the food is to die for!" Lisanna tells her as she walks passed her and leads them to one of the booths in the far corner. "We can sit here, it's always nice and quite."

Lucy follows obediently behind her, adjusting the strap of her handbag over her shoulder. Luckily, they had had the sense to pack their shopping bags in Lisanna's car before coming here.

When they get to the special booth, Lucy looks around, and seeing that true to Lisanna's word, the chatter of the other customers was much lower here.

"You come here a lot?" Lucy asks when she looks back at the other girl, pulling off her handbag.

"Oh yeah. Natsu and I come here at least once a week for their lasagna," Lisanna says, dropping her purse on the end of the seat, before sliding in after it.

Lucy follows suit with amused eyes. "Once a week, huh? You must really love their food."

"Laugh now, but trust me. One bite and you'll be begging to eat here twice as much as that."

Lucy scoffs, before grabbing one of the fold-up menus provided on the table.

"Seriously!" Lisanna urges, reaching for a menu too, but doesn't bother to open it. "You should try it. It's the best in town."

"Tempting, but I'm vegan, remember?" Lucy hums and Lisanna folds her arms confidently.

"They have a vegan option – I checked."

"Vegan Lasagna? That sounds awful."

Lisanna shrugs. "Your life choices."

Lucy raises a blonde brow at that, before looking back at the menu with a chuckle.

Only about five minutes later, does one of the waiters walk over to their booth. His voice smooth and welcoming.

"And what can I get started for you ladies today?"

Lucy turns with a bubbly smile to answer the man, but gaps just as soon as she lays eyes on him. The waiter is – in one word – gorgeous, maybe a little too much for her taste, but she can't deny he has the looks. Dark and messy, blue hair fell just over his eyes and slightly over his broad shoulders. Even while she was sitting, she could tell he was tall – thankfully though, not the tallest she'd seen in the town. That record still belonged to that Gajeel guy. Still, he was definitely above average. He was muscular too, his white shirt's sleeves folded up high, exposing strong, muscled arms.

He was kind of pale, she noted too – but not sickly. The most striking feature though – it would have to be the bizarre tattoo on the right side of his face. He made it work, but Lucy didn't really approve of the tattoo in such a place.

As Lucy stared shockingly at him, she couldn't help but feel like he didn't fit in with this place – he looked like he should be on some red carpet or reality show. Not a waiter in a small town.

"I'll have my usual: One plate of lasagna and a strawberry milkshake," Lisanna states and the waiter nods, before pulling out a small notepad and pen from the pocket of his black, waist-apron and then writing it down. He then looks at Lucy, a friendly smile on his face and Lucy's 100% sure that that smile must have a lot of girls swooning at the sight.

"And what would you like?" he asks and Lucy smiles back at him, composure back in place. She takes another glance at her menu for good measure and hums, before peeping over at Lisanna who's patiently waiting. She grins at her, before looking back at the waiter.

"I'll have the vegan Lasagna." Lisanna's eyes bright up. "and a latte. A latte sounds amazing."

Lisanna makes a happy sound as the waiter writes it down. "I knew you couldn't resist!"

Lucy shrugs small. "You really hyped it up, I was intrigued."

Lisanna: "You'll love it, trust me. They make the best lasagna."

"She's right," the handsome waiter chipped in and Lucy looks at him, receiving another smile. "Our lasagna's pretty good, but I wouldn't vouch too much on the vegan one. It's kinda nasty."

Lucy smiles playfully at the advice. "Are you supposed to be talking me out of my order?" Her question draws out a laugh from him and he shakes his head.

"Fine-fine, I'll just be a good waiter and get you guys your food," he turns to look at Lisanna. "I see Natsu's not with you this time. Got tired of him stealing your food?"

Lisanna smiles shyly at the man, before shrugging slightly. "Something like that. Don't tell him I was here."

The waiter laughs again and nods, before reaching over and taking their menus. "You got it." He turns to Lucy. "Well, I'll be right back."

With that said, their waiter leaves to the kitchen and Lucy quickly turns to her friend, a cheeky smile growing at her lips. "Is that guy seriously a waiter – or are you just pulling my leg?"

Lisanna laughs out loud then, but quickly muffles her giggles with her hand when a couple at another table close by sends her unhappy glances. "Heh-heh, that's Jellal and yeah, he's a waiter. Been working here since last summer. He's really nice."

Lucy hums amusingly. "And cute, right?"

Lisanna nods, but doesn't look all that affected, to Lucy's disappointment. It would be so fun to tease her over a boy. "He's good looking, a lot of the girls around here think so," her eyes meet Lucy's again, a mischievous look in her eyes. "That your type too?"

Lucy rolls her eyes at the back tease, before shrugging. "I'll admit that he's pretty hot, but..." her cheeks warm up slightly when the image of a certain pink haired boy enters her brain. She blinks it away though, now wasn't the time to be thinking about her confusing relationship with Natsu Dragneel. "...he's not really my type."

Lisanna seems to accept this answer, her head resting on her hand. "But you should see him at school – the girls practically drool over him."

Lucy huffs at the image. She knew what that looked like. Her old school had no shortage of hunky guys, but unlike a lot of the girls there, Lucy didn't have the privilege of fawning over a boy. She'd had crushes before, but nothing really came out of them – she'd never had the nerve to do anything about it and then there was the whole father story…

"Those girls are brave though," Lisanna adds and Lucy realizes to her embarrassment that she had zoned out for a moment and tries to focus on her friend's words. "I mean I wouldn't want to face his girlfriend. She can be kind of scary."

Lucy smiled at that. "That bad? She like the overprotective type?"

Lisanna looks down then, a small flush painting her cheeks. "I wouldn't really know. I've never really talked to her before, but she's really pretty. As for her scary side...it's kind of inspiring. I wish I had that much confidence."

Lucy frowns at the words. Lisanna was probably one of the prettiest girls she'd ever met – if not  _the_  prettiest and she was sweet to top it off! It just felt wrong for someone so flawless to feel so insecure.

"Hey," Lucy smiles and leans over to nudge her friend's arm. "With those cheekbones, I bet you could run circles around any girl in town." Her words have Lisanna blush brighter, but the girl giggles anyway.

It doesn't take long for the waiter to return with their food and Lucy is at least a bit relieved to see that her plate of lasagna doesn't look half as bad as what the waiter had made it sound like.

Lisanna immediately starts digging into to her own portion and Lucy grins to herself at the look of her best friend practically attacking the plate. Well, they say that nobody's perfect. They eat in silence for a while and Lucy finds her plate isn't so bad – pretty good for vegan lasagna. She's already eaten about half her plate and hasn't yet wanted to throw up up, so that's a plus, but as she eats, she notices something odd.

Lisanna's body has gradually become more and more tense and the atmosphere around them feels a bit uneasier than before. Blue eyes flicker up at Lucy, but retreat just as fast and Lucy gets the impression that her female neighbor wants to say something, but doesn't know how to open up about it.

Not wanting to push, Lucy doesn't ask about it at first, going instead to sip her now cooling latte. The bitter taste makes her grimace at first, but it's still nice and she takes another sip.

When about five minutes go by with nobody speaking, Lucy sighs. "Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Lisanna pauses in her chewing and nods, before reaching for her strawberry shake – already half full. She doesn't drink it though and Lucy sets her mug down to eye the quiet girl.

"I can't read your mind, L," the blonde says gently and places her hand on the other girl's. "If something's bothering you, you need to tell me."

Lisanna smiles tightly, before meeting Lucy's eyes again and this time stays there. As expected, there's something honest and wanting in the girl's blue eyes and Lucy smiles in encouragement.

"I was just thinking about that girl, Sarah Butler?" Lisanna says slowly as if bringing it up might make Lucy get up and leave.

"Oh, right," Lucy bites her lip, looking down at her plate. "She's the girl who died the same night I was attacked." How could she forget.

"That's the one," Lisanna nods, her eyebrows curling sadly, regret taking over her features at bringing up the dead girl. Lucy clears her throat and takes another fork full of pasta, before meeting Lisanna's uneasy stare. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought her up, we were having such a good time and-"

"No, it's fine," Lucy says, even if her chest tightens slightly. "What about her?"

"I was...well, you know they say that she died of cardiac arrest, but..." The silver-head falls quiet again, her attention going to pick at the remnants of her food, enormous appetite apparently forgotten.

That uneasy feeling grows in the pit of Lucy's stomach at the pause. "But?"

Lisanna shrugs before setting down her fork and looks up at the blonde. Her expression looks like she's at odds with herself. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, before sighing. "It's nothing. It's just...that whole situation…." something longing-full and hopeful flashes in her eyes and Lucy thinks that she may be trying to tell her something.

"L..."

All of a sudden, Lisanna's eyes widen and she closes her mouth. Lucy blinks at the out of nowhere look and turns around in her seat to see what she's looking at: Natsu Dragneel just walked into the diner and she watches him pause to close the door behind him. Lucy flushes instantly at the sight of him – the memory of having him see her so wrecked and sleepy-eyed in the morning barely a week ago.

He doesn't see them at first, their booth a little further down to spot easily, but he doesn't take a seat anywhere either. In fact, it looks like he's searching the room for somebody. A flutter occurs in her chest at the small possibility that he was looking for her, but she throws that thought away very quickly.

'What am I thinking? He's not here for me. He's been avoiding me like the plague again ever since that morning!' It was true, Lucy had hoped that things would get better between them after Natsu saved her life, but the pink-head merely went back to ignoring her again. Well, there weren't any scowls or glares anymore and he did greet her that one afternoon….but she had hoped they could be better friends after everything.

As if sensing her stare, Natsu turns in their booth's direction and their eyes lock. Lucy freezes at being caught, even more so when that infamous smirk of his starts to stretch over his lips.

He starts walking over to their table then and Lucy is quick to turn around in her seat.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in: a kitten and a little birdie," Natsu says when he gets to their booth, looking to both girls, before smirking down at the blonde. "It's been a while, kitten. We should catch up." Lucy commands herself sternly not to hide under the table. This was Natsu – and he had been the one avoiding her – she was not in the wrong.

He seems extremely relaxed as he looks down at her and Lucy wonders why the sudden change in attitude towards her. He hadn't seemed to be interested in talking to her ever since, was this his way of protecting whatever secret he was keeping?

There was always the fact that she didn't know his schedule either. He could just have been busy. She decides to go with that.

Looking up at Natsu, Lucy feels her cheeks redden a bit more, but smiles through it, only hoping that Lisanna doesn't notice. "Hey Natsu. I didn't expect to see you here."

The boy half shrugs. "And I thought the two of you were out back-to-school shopping." Instead of looking at Lucy when he says this, his gaze turns to his silent sister. She gives him a weird look.

"We got hungry."

There's a strange tension between the two of them, an unspoken argument that she can't decipher. What she can bet, however, that it had something to do with her. Not to sound conceited of anything, but most of their arguments seemed to revolve around Lucy – an unfortunate and confusing discovery.

Lucy straightens up her back when the sibling continue to stare at each other and if she didn't know any better, she'd think they were having some twin – telepathy argument. Then again, they weren't twins…

"Uhm, you know, Natsu," Lucy voices, wanting to a-peace the atmosphere. "Since you're here, why don't you join us?"

Whatever strange spell that fell over the Dragneel siblings is broken by her invitation. To her relief, the tension in Natsu's and Lisanna's posture melts away, but some darkness still lingers.

"Maybe I will," Natsu says slowly after looking at the blonde for a moment. "Where do you want me to sit, kitten?"

There's an arrogant dip to his tone at the last sentence and Lucy is surprisingly grateful for it. It was an improvement over anger or annoyance. She playfully rolls her eyes for good measure though. She catches the way Lisanna's brow quirks up as she takes another sip of her drink. Lucy tries to ignore the redness threatening to return to her cheeks.

"I got a feeling that you should rather sit next to your sister – you might end up stealing my food or something."

Natsu laughs loudly at that, but unlike Lisanna, he doesn't give a care for the couple glaring back at them again. "Don't act like it's not just so you can stare at me, kitten," he grins at her, before sliding in next to his sister.

Lucy rolls her eyes again, choosing to ignore the tease for the sake of their peaceful lunch. She was also starting to get used to his teasing anyway. It was like his armor.

"Well, don't think that you can have any of my food either," Lisanna adds and Natsu's smile drops. Lucy huffs amusingly and Natsu looks back at her.

"So, what are you two talking about?" Natsu asks, his voice just a bit on the bored side. Lucy notices his eyes scan the room distractedly.

"Just about that girl that had had that freak heart attack. You remember?" Lucy answers.

Natsu's dark, intense eyes find hers again, something clouding them again and Lisanna visibly tenses next to him. "Yeah. Freaky," is his reply.

Lisanna seems uncomfortable as she sets down her now empty glass. "We don't have to talk about that now though."

Natsu frowns and Lucy takes that as her cue to change the subject.

"So, what do you want to eat?" She asks the boy across from her, hoping to ease him again. Natsu's eyes look to her at the question and then leans back against the red booth seat.

"No thanks, I'm not that hungry," he answers and that mono tone still sounds. Lucy raises her eyebrow at that. What had she said to get him so annoyed again?

"Not hungry or are you just here for the company?" She jokes and Natsu scoffs.

"Natsu," there's a hint of anger in Lisanna's voice and it surprises Lucy as she gives her friend a questioning stare. Lisanna's stare is almost protective as she glares at her brother.

"What?" There's challenge in his voice now when he meets Lisanna's eyes and he frowns deeper at the look in them.

"Don't do this. Not now."

Another beat of silence and Lucy can only stare in confusion, before Natsu rolls his eyes and stands up, his voice tired and annoyed as he speaks.

"Do what Lisanna? I was invited to sit down and join you, so I did."

Lisanna only stares back knowingly at him and Natsu huffs. Before Lucy can think of something to say – he turns away from them and walks off. Lucy feels flabbergasted at the turn of events and turns to Lisanna with a lost look. What just happened?

"L, what the heck?" the blonde whispers, leaning closer to her frowning friend. Everything seemed okay until it turned a complete 180. Did she miss something?

The silver-haired girl sighs softly – a soft sound and she plays with the straw in her glass. "...I'm sorry."

Lucy's brows furrow at that, not knowing what much to say. "L...are you sure you're okay. What just happened." Lisanna only frowns in response, and Lucy sighs at the silence.

"Natsu! You're here!"

Lucy starts at the confident yell from behind her and turns around to see a pretty, brunette girl attach herself to Natsu's arm, a wide, cheeky smile on her face. Natsu seems taken back by the sudden show of affection, but he's quick to fall back into that 'whatever-cool-boy' expression and, to Lucy's shock, he doesn't fight the girl off.

Natsu...Natsu has a girlfriend?

A bubbling, ugly feeling starts to form in the pit of her stomach at the scene in front of her and Lucy quickly shakes her head. Whoever that girl is, is doesn't matter – or have anything to do with herself.

It's not like Lucy was his girlfriend. Even the term  _friends_  was sort of rocky. Complicated was the word that came to mind when it came to their relationship.

Still. The sight of the tanned beauty latching onto Natsu didn't feel good and Lucy wasn't a fool to figure out why.

"Uhm...Lisanna?" Lucy slowly turns to look at her friend – only to find her still frowning as she pushes her food back and forth across her plate. She doesn't seem to have noticed the girl rubbing herself all over her brother at the front of the dinner. "L?"

Lisanna's eyes peep up at her from below her pale eyelashes and she sets the fork down. "Listen, Lucy. I'll explain-"

"And your sisters here, too!? I didn't know Lisanna was going to be joining us!" The boastful, happy voice actually has Lisanna react this time and both girls turn to see the tall, brunette walking over to their table.

Lucy can't help but feel envious as she approaches the booth. The girl's strides are long and confident and Lucy spots several guys from the front of the diner turning in their seats to get a better look of her. She didn't blame them. No wonder Natsu liked her...

'Stop it, Lucy!' the blonde scolds herself.

When the tanned girl gets close enough her smile grows even wider, her full lips almost smirking with glee and Lucy watches as she leans down to squeeze Lisanna in a tight hug.

"Dammit! Lisanna, hi! How are you doing," the girl yells as she practically sits in the silver-haired girl's lap. Lisanna blushes slightly, but there is still a smile that blossoms over her face at the affectionate hold.

"Hi, Cana. I'm fine, how've you been?" Lisanna asks, her voice a soft, melody compared to the other girl, when the amazon releases her strong grip.

Meanwhile, Lucy silently memorizes the name and takes that short moment to really examine the strange beauty. Cana is tall and tan – a dark, golden brown that blends well with her full, wave-y, chocolate locks. She, much like Lisanna, looks like she should be on some sort of runway – but in a totally different aspect. There's an undertone feeling of danger about her – much like how Natsu had seemed when she first met him. Sort of mysterious.

"I didn't know you were back in town. Why didn't you call?"

Lucy blinks away from her thoughts and focuses on the conversation.

"I was going to be out until Fall, but I changed my mind," Cana says offhandedly. "Figured I'd swing by and annoy Laxus a bit and obvious hang out with my favorite duo." She winks at the silver girl, before humming. "Didn't Natsu tell you? I called him up last night."

Lisanna turns to glare at her brother. "Not yet."

Lucy hadn't even realized that Natsu had walked over here too and sneaks a quick peek over at him. He's glaring tiredly at the brunette, who let out a healthy laugh in response.

"That's cute, Natsu. Go easy on him Lisanna. He just couldn't stand the crippling loneliness of not having me around and just wanted me for himself. Isn't that right, Natsu?"

The pink-head rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Cana."

Lucy's brows furrow at his vaguely rude behavior. Weren't they together? Why was he acting so strangely – at least to his girlfriend.

For a brief moment, Natsu glances over at her and when they make eye contact, his eyes widen slightly before softening. Lucy doesn't want to admit that the look makes her feel warm inside – if he's dating this girl, it's wrong.

"- Oh," Cana's eyes land on Lucy for the first time since she walked over and Lucy turns to meet them at the sound of her surprised voice. "Sorry, I didn't even notice you there." The amazon then offers a slim hand to the blonde, who hesitates for a second before awkwardly accepting it and returning the slight squeeze the other girl gives her. "Hey, I'm Cana Alberona," Cana introduces herself, a confident smile on her face, but there's something else in her eyes that Lucy can't place. "You must be Lucy. I've heard so much about you."

The blonde blinks in surprise, considering how she'd heard nothing about her, but manages to smile. "It's nice to meet you, Cana." She draws blank at what else to say to the girl, luckily Cana didn't have the same problem.

"So, you're the girl causing all the drama, hm?" There's a glint of interest in Cana's dark eyes. "I can't say I don't see the appeal."

"Wha..." Lucy blushes despite her confusion and Cana chuckles, before winking down at her.

"I hope these two haven't gotten you into too much trouble." Lucy notices Lisanna bite her lip nervously behind Cana.

"Um-no?"

Cana gives Lucy a thoughtful look and Lucy realizes in that awkward moment that she was still holding her hand – but she didn't try to let go. The tan girl's eyes were a deep blue and just as mysterious as the air around her – Lucy felt her own nerves begin to build up at the silent question swirling in the girl's eyes.

What was she doing with Lisanna and Natsu?

It...it almost felt like she was on trail.

"Cut it out, Cana. You're creeping her out." Natsu's voice sounded more annoyed than angry, but Lucy only felt relief when the amazon finally released her from her stare and let of her hand. It was like she could breath again.

"Relax Pinkie. I was just being friendly," Cana said in an all-too-innocent voice.

Lucy turned to Lisanna again who sat emotionless in her seat. Meanwhile, Natsu is looking at Cana with an unreadable expression. Seems the mood from earlier has yet to pass…

Swallowing, Lucy looked up at the three people surrounding her, a nervous hitch to her own voice as she talked. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong earlier?" Blood rushes to her cheeks when the three turn to look at her instantly – Lisanna with a worried, shocked expression.

"What-no! Everything's fine, right Natsu?" Lisanna stated, before looking at her brother. Natsu grunts out his reply and Lucy frowns. Yip, she had definitely done something.

"Don't sweat it, Lucy," Cana smirked down at her, propping her hand on her hip. "Just family problems."

Lucy almost gaps at that. Was Cana a relative?

"As for them – you're gonna have to excuse their moods. More Natsu than Lisanna. He just needs a good fu-"

"Okay, that's it!"

Before Cana can finish her sentence, Natsu grabs her elbow and pulls her away. Lucy turns to watch them. "If you're gonna act like a toddler, I'll just have to take you to McDonald's down the street. Maybe it'll shut you up if I get you a happy meal."

Cana seems taken back for only a moment, before letting out another laugh and yanks her arm out of Natsu's grasp – only to swing it over his shoulder and another tired expression crossed over the boy's face. Satisfied, Cana then looks back over to Lucy who sits up straighter.

"Nice meeting you, Lucy. Wish I could stay longer, but as you can see, Natsu wants to keep me all to himself."

A warning grunt sounds from Natsu at her words.

Lucy regards him for a moment, before giving Cana nod and small smile. This was still so weird.

Cana then calls out a goodbye to Lisanna – which earns a few glares from the other customers and a few waiters – but she pays them no mind as she drags the pink-head away.

Only once the doors slam shut, does the usual hum of a popular small town diner return. Lucy slowly and feeling more winded now, turns back in her seat, slugging against it. So...that just happened. Lost in the white noise, she and Lisanna stare awkwardly at each others empty plates.

"...So Cana," Lucy starts. "She seems nice."

Lisanna hums at that and Lucy looks up to see a small, all-bit nervous smile stretch over her lips. "Yeah, she is...She's a good friend – just a bit loud." She meets Lucy's eyes then. "I think she might have been drinking before she got here."

Lucy laughs softly at the understatement of Cana being  _a bit loud_. The diner actually sounded dimmer now. Lucy just has to ask the next question that's been playing on her mind since she saw Cana enter the diner. "Are here and Natsu...uh..."

A look of realization flashes through Lisanna's eyes and she's quick to shake her head, an amused smile now on her face, like the very idea was funny. "No. No, Cana's just a family friend. Her and Natsu are just really close..." her eyes roll at some sort of memory comes to her mind. "But, she's more like a young aunt. She's a good few years older than us too."

"Oh," Lucy's voice laced with surprise. It must be some good genes, because Cana had looked their age.

Lisanna smiles at her, before picking up some scraps of her lasagna and plopping it into her mouth. Lucy takes a sip of her now icy-cold latte, grimacing for a whole new reason now at the taste. She still finished it though, her mind still going through the scene she just lived through – when a thought occurs.

"Hey, what did she mean by all the trouble I was causing you?"

Lisanna pauses in her chewing, before swallowing – slowly. Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that the silver-head was drilling for time. "Nothing really," Lisanna mumbles. ""Cana just likes to make fun. You'll get used to it, she's actually really nice."

"You know her that well then?"

Lisanna shrugs. "You can say that, yes. She and my family. We have a lot in common."

Lucy sets down her mug, a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah, I can totally see the similarity in attitude. You both really know how to stun a room."

Lisanna rolls her eyes with a tiny smile, but there's something lingering there that Lucy  _just_  manages to catch. Darkness. Lucy can practically see the darkness surrounding her. Lisanna and Natsu both have it. They just show it in different ways; Natsu by anger and Lisanna with sadness.

"She's different," Lisanna says and Lucy blinks. "Well, we all are – but I think you've noticed."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Lucy smiles at her. It wasn't a bad thing to be different, she liked how Lisanna acted. It was who she was – there was no point in changing it.

Lisanna sighs at her words and the inner turmoil that she so desperately tries to hide makes a reappearance. "It's just. In a town of roughly 500, people don't do well with  _weird_. So..."

"You sort of group up together," Lucy suggests, starting to see what her friend was trying to say.

Lisanna's head bobs in a tiny nod and before Lucy can say anything reassuring, Lisanna puts on a faint smile. "Lucy...about that girl – the one that died from the heart attack." She hesitates for a moment. "Listen...you know this isn't something I talk about because, well, I don't know..."

There's a battle going on in the silver-head girl's mind and Lucy wishes she would just open up to her. She can be trusted. "L?"

Lisanna's eyes close, as if it helps keep her mind at peace. "Small town hide secrets, Lucy. I just need to tell you...you have to trust me and Natsu." Her voice is only a whisper now and Lucy's brows knit together.

"What do you mean by secrets?"

Lisanna opens her eyes and Lucy tenses at the look in them. "I can't tell you. I know that we have our secrets, but I promise you that Natsu and I...we're the only ones you can really trust."

At her ominous words, Lucy feels a chill run down her spine and she glances around the diner.

For the first time, she starts to notice the little...oddities...that run through the very fabric of this town. From the waitress standing near the entrance – there's fear in the back of her eyes, to the couple who'd keep glaring at them from time to time and to the old lady in a suit in the far corner who watches the both of them while drinking a cup of coffee.

And Lucy suddenly remembers the women from the grocery store. The one that had warned her to stay away from Lisanna.

These people were the same – they smile to their faces but then whisper behind their backs. It was more than unsettling and Lucy quickly turns properly in her seat. Lisanna is watching her with a sorry, but worried expression.

"I want to tell you this because I trust you and because you're the only friend that I actually got to choose."

Lucy frowns at the words  _got to choose._ "Lisanna-"

"I just...please be patient." Lisanna looks like she's about to cry now, all the hiding and stress of whatever monsters she's keeps locked away building up – still she keeps her voice down. "I know it's frustrating but I...whatever happens, you have to trust me and Natsu."

Lucy feels the fear and confusion slowly lesson at way her friend was looking at her – it was still there and she just wanted Lisanna to tell her everything, but that obviously wouldn't happen. Right now, she needed to let Lisanna know that she was still there for her.

Sighing, Lucy reached out and took the girl's lithe hand and Lisanna swallowed. "L, like I said before," Lucy said just as softly and slowly to try and make her point. "I'm your friend and I don't care about the rest of the town. So, if you have secrets...fine." Lisanna opens her mouth to interject, but Lucy squeezes her hand to silence her. "They're  _your_ secrets, just...remember that I'm here for you. Okay?"

Lisanna's eyes glisten and a thankful look radiates off them as she nods in reply. Lucy smiles too.

"Thanks for understanding Lucy."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy meets some new friends and gets some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Thanks for all the lovely reviews and for supporting my story!
> 
> Enjoy!

 

The rest of summer flies by in a blur and the next thing Lucy knows…

"Ugh, I can't believe it's the first day of school already!" the blonde groans into her pillow while her alarm buzzes insistently on her nightstand. Why didn't she have one of those cool machines that played the radio when you woke up? That had to be less annoying.

Groggy and still half asleep, Lucy slaps her hand around blindly, until finally she manages to hit the snooze button. She knows it won't last long though and since she's already awake, she might as well get up. With half heart-ed efforts, the blonde girl forces herself up and simply sits for a moment, trying to get her brain to wake up along with the rest of her. She hadn't slept at all last night – another night full of creepy wind howls and roof creaking. Now? Now she had to make it through the first day of her new high school.

_Awesome._

Groaning again, Lucy rubs at her face, moving her messed up fringe away from her eyes. She wasn't ready for this, not today. The alarm buzzed again after the five minute snooze and Lucy sighs pitifully at herself. She  _really_  wasn't ready for this. All through summer break she had avoided meeting up with any new people – not counting that Cana girl and that weird, big guy that had been visiting Natsu and Lisanna for a while.

Now Lucy wasn't bad at making friends – she was fairly good at it actually, but it didn't take away the nerves of being the new girl in the school. Lisanna had made the summer bearable that she hadn't even thought about making new friends. Now though, now she was going to be surrounded by other students. At least Lisanna would be with her.

Hey, maybe even Natsu would hang out with her? The thought of Natsu had her groaning for a whole different reason and Lucy dragged her pillow into her lap, only to squeeze the poor thing a little too tightly. Why did her thoughts always have to somehow lead to Natsu? Things had been so weird between them too...not that things had ever been normal…

Sighing, Lucy moved to this time switch off the alarm. Sweet, sweet silence took over the room again and she allowed it to calm her for a few seconds. Birds chirped happily outside and Lucy's eyes drifted towards the window. She was still tired, but maybe some fresh air would help her wake up.

Limbs stiff and head still stuffed up with sleep and nerves, Lucy throws the pillow back in it's spot, before pulling away the pink blankets and climbs out. With sluggish steps, she moves towards the window and with a slight grunt, she unlatches and pushes it open, before leaning her upper body out of it and inhaling in the fresh morning sunshine.

"Aaaah, so much better."

Her moment of peace is soon disturbed by the sound of angry horn honks. Lucy pouts at the horrible sound and looks down too see Lisanna sitting inside her car, the door still open, and honking her horn once more.

"Come on, Natsu! Move it or we're going to be late for school!"

Lucy smiles amusingly at the display below. 'Ah, to live next door to the Dragneels. There's always something.' She grins wider as another loud honk sounds below and she can only hope for her friend's sake that Aqua doesn't come storming out of the front door to end the noise. Still, Lucy couldn't help but envy the two sibling's relationship. It was obvious they cared deeply for each other, even with how much they bickered. She knew now that it was just their weird way of protecting each other. She wished she had a sibling to share her life with. Too bad for her, her parents were never interested in the idea of a second child. Oh well.

When she glances over to the Dragneel's porch, she sees Natsu sauntering out of the front door as if there isn't an overly stressed out girl honking in front of his house. She can't see too well, but does see that he was dressed in a tight, button-up, black shirt that showed off lower arms, along with dark, baggy jeans. His pink hair was still the biggest contrast to his dark look, but he had styled it a bit differently today.

Once again, Lucy Heartfilia hated just how good the pink-head could look in the mornings. Well...at least this time he was wearing a shirt…

"Calm down, sis, it's not like we're that late! It's just after six!" Natsu called out, his voice traced with humor. Lisanna honked again.

"If I get detention on my first day back, I swear, Natsu!" Lisanna sounded uncharacteristically bossy today and Lucy couldn't help but giggle to herself at the sound of it. It was so strange when paired with the pixie-like girl's face.

Then again, she remembered Lisanna saying how much she HATED being late for school – so she should have expected this. If this yelling occurred every morning, Lucy might not even need her alarm clock anymore. So...upsides?

Outside, Natsu's chuckle sounds and as he shuts and locks the house and then starts walking towards the car, when – his eyes catch and lock with Lucy's own. Lucy would have felt embarrassed for spying – though this time time it was by accident – but then that slow, cocky grin of his slides across his lips and she lets it go.

Smiling down at the pink-head, Lucy waves at him almost shyly and then he winks at her.

"Morning, kitten! Ready for school?"

'Seems like he's in a good mood this morning, he's even greeting me decently.' Lucy's about to answer him and wish him good luck with his first day, when Lisanna's urgent and stressed voice beats her to the punch.

"Natsu, stop distracting Lucy! She needs to get ready – and if you don't get in this car right now, we're gonna be late for school!"

Natsu lazily turns to give his sister an exasperated look and stuffs his hands into his jean's pockets. "Relax, not even all the teachers are there yet."

Lisanna only gives him a warning look, before turning up to look at Lucy and Lucy is relieved to see a bright smile stretch over her friend's face when she does. At least the bad, hasty mood doesn't apply to her just yet.

"Morning!" Lisanna calls out to the blonde, before her hand grabs the handle of her open, door. "Sorry Lucy, but we've really got to get going. Forgive me for the rush – I did try calling you to wake you up, but it didn't work!"

Lucy smiles fondly down at her stressed friend and hunches over the window a bit further to respond. "Hey, L! It's totally okay! I'll see you at school!"

Lisanna gives her a thankful look, before closing her car door. Before Natsu gets into the car too, he pauses and turns to look up at Lucy once more.

"Don't stress too much, okay? The first day jitters don't last that long!"

Lucy blinks at the advice with surprised eyes, but then grins back at him when the words settle in. "Gotcha, will do!"

With one last grin, he turns away. "See ya, try not to fall out of that window!"

"Hey!"

Natsu's laughter rings after him as he disappears into the passenger seat and Lisanna drives off as soon as his door slams shut. Lucy is left to shake her head as she watches the departing car.

When she can't see them anymore, she decides it's time to face the day and get dressed.

* * *

Lucy arrives at school with a solid 15 minutes to spare before the first class actually starts. She made sure to get there early – not Lisanna early – but early enough to allow her some extra time to wander around a bit and get herself settled.

The campus was pretty big and if she remembered her aunt's words right – this school was the biggest building in the entire town.

The place didn't disappoint, though it was not her old school where the students were clothed in preppy uniforms and high-tailed scenery, this place had a bit more charm and a lot more freedom. It was something she could see herself getting used to if she tried hard enough.

As she looked around, Lucy noticed that the students were already settling into their cliques. From the popular jocks, to the popular academics, to the average Joe's and Jane's, to the fringes… She realized that most of the students probably already knew each – most likely from kinder-garden days. She wouldn't be surprised if she was the  _only_  new kid here – though she really hoped that that wasn't the case.

Some of the students would spare her sideways glances as she walked passed them and Lucy inhales deeply as she meets some of their eyes. One group of preppy-looking girls start to whisper intensely to themselves when Lucy passes them and the blonde tenses slightly. She could do this – she was good at meeting new people. She just had to calm herself.

Smiling friendly to those that watched her, Lucy kept walking into the school grounds. Eventually she made it to the front doors of the building and stopped to look around fully.

There were more students than she expected there to be, but she knew that only a few would actually be in her grade. One guy from across the yard caught her eyes and Lucy blinked at the focused look is his brown ones. When he noticed her staring back, his lips tilted into a smile.

He was good looking, she noted. He had that all around jock-look going for him, with his blonde, slicked back hair that sort of spiked at the ends. He was broad and muscular too – even through his thick jacket. A regular Flash Thompson look-alike. She could already tell he was one of the popular guys – one of the guys that all the girls fell over.

Still, at least he looked friendly and if he was smiling at her, the least she could do was be friendly back.

Shyly, Lucy smiled back at the stranger and it makes him grin wider. Just as she was about to walk over to him and introduce herself though, a couple of other guys crowded around him, talking excitedly about some football game Lucy wasn't particularly clued up about.

Sighing, Lucy turned away from them and walked into the school building. She'd just have to wait for another opening to make some new friends.

Inside, it's almost empty and Lucy clues it up to the fact that most students want to enjoy their freedom of summer vacation a bit longer. She doesn't mind it so much, as it makes its easier to find her first class without having to hussel through a crowded hallway, at least not until the bell rings.

She had gotten her schedule a week ago – curtocy of Lisanna – and she quickly pulls it out of her bag pack, before looking for her first destination.

 **DAY 1 – CLASS 1 – SCIENCE (ROOM 48)** read the paper and Lucy frowns at the subject. What a way to start the school year.

Stuffing the schedule back in her bag, Lucy starts walking down the corridor, looking at the door numbers for her first class.

'Room 4B. Room 4B. Room 4B?'

Lucy's too busy staring at the doors that she doesn't look ahead of her – or in this case, sees the person running towards her – and before the blonde can check the next door number, that person body-slams right into her.

" _Ah-!_ " Lucy cries in shock as she feels herself fall to the ground, her back luckily shielded by her bag pack. The fall was quick and Lucy could feel the other person laying heavily over her legs.

" _Shit._  Sorry about that." a breathy, low voice says and Lucy feels the weight over her legs pull away from her in a hurry. She hears the other person get to their feet with a grunt, before; "Here."

Blinking, Lucy looks up to a pale hand being offered to her and her gaze slowly moves to the owner of said hand. The boy looking down at her was frowning, but it seems more directed at himself than at her.

He's handsome. That's what she notices next. A different, more cool-boy style than the blond she'd seen outside. This stranger has wild, spiky, black hair that falls messily over his forehead, but she still manages to see the small, jagged scar peeking behind it. His outfit is simple; a white T-shirt with black sleeves and tight jeans. His dark brows are pulled low as he stares down at her and Lucy reaches out to accept the hand, before he helps her to her feet.

Wobbling a bit when she's up, Lucy steadies herself, before smiling at the boy. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," he nods at her, a half smile stretching over his lips, before grimacing again. "Real sorry about the knock out, I was  _uh_...trying to get away from someone."

Lucy's smile grew at the apology and leaned her body slightly to peek behind him curiously. Just around the corner was a silver-haired boy – another student, she notes – his face scrunched up impatiently as he checked the area, before grunting out something under his breath and turning back the way he'd come from.

" _Heh_ , guess he gave up," the stranger said in a mono tone over the blonde's shoulder and Lucy jumped slightly, before turning to see that the boy had moved to hide behind her. She let out a small giggle at the obviously relieved look on his face.

"A friend of yours?" Lucy asked, folding her arms over her chest as she smiled up at the other student.

He makes another, unhappy expression, which Lucy smiles at, before shaking his head. "Nah. Try step brother," the stranger sighs and Lucy takes that as a sign of the two's relationship. Well, besides the other fact that he had been running away and hiding from the other guy. "...You're the new girl, right? Nurse Aquarius's niece?"

Lucy blinks at the recognition. "How did you..."

"The whole town knows about you coming to stay with her," the boy smiled, a coy tilt of the lips and Lucy sighed unhappily.  _Great_ , so that's why everyone had been staring at her earlier. Guess that means it wasn't just because of her cute, new outfit. "I'm Gray Fullbuster, you're aunt's pretty cool. She's helped me out a bunch of times."

Lucy's eyes widened then, but smiled after a second. "Lucy," she said. "Lucy Heartfilia, nice to meet you, Gray." Gray's lips tilt higher at the greeting and Lucy feels herself ease. Her first real introduction of the day and it was going pretty good. "So..." the blonde voices and one of the boy's dark brows quirk upwards.

"What?"

"So...I was wondering, since you  _did_  bump into me and everything," she bats her eyelashes at him for good measure. "Would you mind helping me out with finding my first class?"

The question has the boy blink, before huffing amusingly at her, Lucy smiles wide in return.

"Sure. What's your first class?"

"Science. Room 4B," Lucy answers swiftly, relief flooding through her chest at the confirmation of his help.

Gray looks almost pitifully at her, when says answers him and Lucy feels a kindred soul at the look.

"You hate science too?" Lucy asks and Gray shrugs.

"I used to take it two years back, but gave it up for history. Easier to learn for, but just as boring."

Lucy smiles at the reply, but feels herself slump at the fact that he wasn't in the same class as her. It would have been nice to enter a classroom, walking along with someone rather than entering alone and awkward. She probably should have gone and looked for Lisanna when she first got here.

"Come on, you gotta go upstairs to get to science," Gray said, before turning to casually walk down the hallway. Lucy was quick to walk beside him. "It doesn't say on the schedule, but the science class was moved to room 11A upstairs," he added when she was at his side and Lucy pursed her lips at the information.

"You'd think they'd give a heads up about that." Then again, she had gotten her schedule from Lisanna and not a brand new, probably updated one from head office…

"Yeah, but hey," Gray said, looking down at her with a half smile. "At least you got here after the upgrade. The classroom downstairs smelled like shit."

Lucy laughed at the language, her arms moving to clasp her bag straps when they got to the stairs and followed the boy up. "So, what's your first class? History?"

Gray nodded as he lead the way. "That guy you saw? He's in it too and was trying to walk me there – make sure I'm not late again."

"And...here I am making you show me to my class," Lucy hummed, looking up at him. "You know, if you need to, I can find my way form here and you can go to your class? I don't want to make you late."

"It's chill," Gray shrugged and smirked at her. "I'll take showing the newbie around over tolerating Lyon any day."

"Wow, thanks?" Lucy laughed, figuring that  _Lyon_  must be the brother in question.

They get to the top of the stairs at a slow pace and Lucy's happy she had left the house when she did as the snail pace doesn't end up with her being late. They continue to chat as they walk and Lucy is happy to find that she doesn't have to give fake smiles or cringe internally as they do. Gray Fullbuster is a nice enough guy. Apparently he has a knack for getting into messy situations that somehow usually end up with him in the nurses office, and by extension – in Aqua's care at the hospital. Though he claims that it's never his fault that he ends up there in the first place. Lucy wants to ask if one of those incidents have something to do with how he got the scar on his forehead, but she resists. It wasn't something you should ask a stranger and she didn't know if he was sensitive about. Maybe if they got a little closer, she'd get her answer.

As a whole, Gray is polite and Lucy finds herself liking the pale, too-cool boy the more they talk. He's easy to talk to, despite his ice-y appearance. It's nice to make a new friend at the school too.

Soon, Gray stops the leisure walk once they reach a specific door and Lucy looks up to see the number  **11B**  printed at the top.

"Hopefully this makes up for me knocking the wind out of you?" Gray jokes with a bit of apology peeking through and Lucy laughs to reassure him.

"Definitely," the blonde grins thankfully up at the raven who returns it with a half tilt of his lips. "It was nice meeting you, Gray. I appreciate it."

"It's cool," he shakes his head and steps back towards the stairs, before looking over at her again. "Hey if you need help getting around, just come find me. I'd like to keep in good with you're aunt."

"I'll put in a good word for you," Lucy smiles and watches gray retreat with the same slow pace down the stairs, his hand raised up in a departing gesture.

Lucy only looks back at the classroom door once he's out of eyes sight, her smile tightening a bit. 'Okay. Let's do this.'

* * *

Lucy manages to make it out of first period without any real drama. By the second period, however, as she enters her classroom, her mind starts to drift.

She hadn't seen Natsu or Lisanna since school started. Apparently neither neighbor had Science as a subject. She should have asked Lisanna what classes she had so she could know when they'd be together. She was starting to wonder if she had any together at all.

If she did have one of the siblings in her class though, she hoped it was Lisanna. If it were Natsu, he may end up as more of a distraction than a companion. Lucy sighs and smiles faintly at the idea of having her best friend in all her classes with her. It would definitely make attending easier until she could make some more friends. Gray seemed like a nice guy, but she's prefer to have Lisanna by her side. It was a girl thing.

As for the topic of new friends…

Last period she hadn't gotten the chance to speak to any other students with how strict that teacher had been and with no Gray, Lisanna or Natsu, Lucy had to find her next class on her own. Luckily, she had made it on time.

Now she sat at one of the middle-desks. Silent and alone. There were a few people walking in to take the seats now, but they seemed more interested in their own conversations than to notice Lucy.

Just as she took out a notebook for AP Calculus, someone in the classroom lets out a squeal of excitement. Lucy's eyes jolt up to the seat next to hers at the sound, but the girl sitting there is fine, her glasses-framed eyes wide and staring in wonder.

"Oh wow! I can't believe my luck!" the girl squeals again and Lucy blinks in remembrance. This girl had been one of the group of girls that had been whispering about her in outside the building. Now, she seemed to be trying to contain her excitement and was practically hopping in her seat.

Curious, Lucy turns to look in front of the class – only to see none other than Natsu Dragneel swaggering into her classroom. Well, considering she was the new girl, it was technically his classroom – but still.

Natsu finds her as soon as she sees him and a smirk stretches over his face. Lucy blushes slightly at the look, but the feeling is short lived when she hears the girl next to her whisper again.

"I can't believe Natsu's actually in AP Calc with me!" she gushes to her friend of the further right. "Ugh, what would I do for him to notice me."

"I know right?" the girl's friend replies, her voice more shocked then excited. "I guess he must have switched classes this term. Lucky..."

Lucy tears her eyes away from Natsu to look back at the two girls still silently gossiping about her neighbor. They weren't paying attention to her in the least and continued to giggle to themselves, stealing shy glances at the pink-head in front. Another glance up and the first girl's eyes widened.

"Oh! He's walking over here – _shh_ -"

Lucy blinks at the that and looks back to face Natsu – and yes – he was indeed walking over, but not to the two gossiping girls. He was walking to  _her_ desk. He's smirk is still on full force and the other girls seem to realize where he's headed because they start whispering about Lucy this time.

"Who's the blonde? Why's he going to her?"

"I think that's Aquarius's niece?"

It's at that moment that Lucy realizes that all the eyes in the classroom have suddenly landed on her and her alone. Brown eyes widening at the unexpected attention, Lucy quickly drops her gaze down to her notebook again, about the same time that Natsu stops to stand next to her desk.

"What? No  _hello_ for your favorite neighbor?"

Lucy hears an audible gasp from several girls in the classroom and then the hushed gossip that lights up around her. Something like "I've never seen Natsu talk to anyone before" sounds from somewhere in the room and Lucy feels her cheeks grow a darker shade of crimson. She wanted to make an expression – but this wasn't what she had had in mind!

"Kitten?"

Looking up from behind her fringe, Lucy tries to block out the other students. Natsu was regarding her with that  _admittedly_ stupidly, sexy smirk of his, but there was a bit of concern hidden in his eyes and Lucy felt something flutter in her chest.

Unfortunately, that's when her eyes decided to betray her and took in his attire fully, now that she was closer to him. That black shirt really did show off his muscular arms and she could see that he was wearing some thick, rustic necklace picking out through his loose collar. Pink hair pricked messily over his eyes, but it was styled that way and couldn't hide the dark, deep eyes looking down at her.

Her weird attraction aside – there was a small voice in the back of her head saying that it would be for the best if she ignored him, but even though they fought a lot, he was still a good guy – when he wanted to be at least. He did save her too and in some ways, he was also her friend.

"You know, I wouldn't go as far as to say you're my favorite neighbor," Lucy answered his earlier question, her voice still shy from all the stares.

Natsu arches a pink eyebrow as he grins and leans against her desk. "Oh? So, who is my competition? Cause you know it's bias to just choose Lisanna."

Lucy rolls her eyes, but can't stop the smile that pulls at her lips. "I can't help it if I have good taste," she says with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. The tension feels less suffocating around her now, even with the continued stares and Lucy marvels at the way she feels so much more relaxed in their conversation. Maybe it was everything they've been through this summer, but Natsu's complicated nature was calming.

Her remark has Natsu's grin widen. "You know, I think you're getting snarkier, kitten," there's wondered amusement in his voice when he says this. "But you still gotta be more creative with your insults. I could teach you, if you want."

Lucy huffs at the offer. "Who says I'm insulting you? If I remember correctly, it's  _you_  that's usually the insultor."

The low laugh that rumbles from Natsu's throat causes another, more dramatic gasp from the back, but Lucy finds that the sound just bounces off her back now and she giggles along with him. Natsu doesn't even seem to hear the whispers either and swiftly reaches for Lucy's pen and snatches it up in the air.

Lucy blinks in surprise as he smirks down at her, pen in grasp and out of her reach.

"Hey, give that back!" Lucy pouts, but instead, Natsu twirls the pen between his fingers.

"Hey, I want to check on that arm of yours," Natsu calmly states, his dark eyes dropping to Lucy's one hand and then meeting her eyes again. "Think you can do this, kitty cat?"

Lucy's pout grows into a confused press of her lips as she watches her pen deftly twirl and get flipped between his fingers. He seems to take her silence as a yes, and when he presents her pen back to her, Lucy take stares at it for a second, before taking it.

"Now you try."

Lucy spares him another glance and notices his eyes are back on her hand. It's been a while since the attack, did he really think she might still have some bruises? And why just her hand? The thought of him being worried, even after so long, was sweet though and the blonde obediently adjusts the pen between her fingers, the same way he had held it and then smiles confidently back at him.

"Easy enough," she boasts, before trying it out. She fumbles a bit at first, but it's not long before Lucy's able to twirl the pen with ease and she beams up at him proudly. "See? Arm's totally fine."

The pink-head's eyes linger a bit on her hand, before smiling faintly at her and nods his satisfaction.

"Glad to see you can actually look after yourself, kitten." There was no bite to the words, but Lucy still frowns unimpressed at him, opening her mouth to re toot –

The warning bell suddenly rings and Lucy's mouth closes at the sound, jumping slightly in her seat.

He

Natsu looks up at the sound and then meets her eyes. "Gotta get to my seat, see ya."

"Yeah-um, bye," Lucy says as he moves away from her desk and walks over to his own. Before he sits down though, he looks back at her and Lucy blushes at being caught still staring. His eyes flash amusingly at her and smiles – Lucy doing the same, but a bit more shyly. A warm feeling spread in her chest then when he turned away from her. She was actually pretty happy he had talked to her. Despite their morning greeting, she had expected him to ignore her today.

"Can't believe he'd even bother with her," the girl on her left whispered and with no pink-haired neighbor to distract her, Lucy caught the hushed words this time and side glanced over to the girl's seat.

She wasn't looking at her, her eyes trained unhappily on Natsu's back as she muttered to her friend.

"I know right?" the girl's friend voiced just as softly. "Do you think it's because she's new?"

"Who cares about that? She's probably just trying to get into his pants."

Lucy's cheeks flamed with her embarrassment at the whispers and accidentally catches one of the girl's eyes. Instead of going quiet and looking away at being caught – to Lucy's surprise, the girl actually gives her a dirty look, before leaning back over to whisper something extra to her friend.

Lucy swallows at the action and her eyes drop back down to her notebook, desperately trying to ignore the unwanted things being said about her. Great. Just  _great._

"Hey, just ignore them. They're always gossiping about something," a new, sweet voice says and Lucy looks to her other side, only to be met with a kind smile from the girl sitting at the desk beside her own.

This girl was...cute – with her short cropped, light blue hair that was pulled back with an orange hair band. Her big, honey-colored eyes were friendly and open. Lucy could already tell she was going to like this new girl.

"Thanks, um," Lucy smiled bashfully. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

The blue-head's smile grows brighter at the introduction and offers her hand out, which Lucy is quick to accept. "Levy McGarden," she winks at her. "Nice to meet you, Lucy – and welcome to the town."

"Thanks," the blonde smiles. "I-"

An old, leggy man walks in, presumably the teacher, and the two girls are forced to turn their attention on him, but it doesn't take away the happy feeling blooming in Lucy's chest.

* * *

When the lesson finally ends, Lucy hears the scuffling of chairs and desks being moved. Her eyes go straight to Natsu who's busy packing away his books.

She wasn't sure which classroom she was supposed to be at next, but maybe she could get Natsu to walk her there? With any luck, he'd even have the same class.

With her new goal in mind, Lucy hurries to pack up her own books and stationery, but when she looks up again, Natsu's no longer at his desk. Frowning, the blonde grabs her bag and rushes out of the emptying classroom. Out in the hallway, she feels like a fish out of water as she looks at the student filtering in and out classrooms. No sign of Natsu.

 _Great._  She was really hoping to ask Natsu to help her get to her next class. She also doubted that she'd be able to find Lisanna before the next warning bell went off...she bet the early bird was somehow already sitting in her next class.

"Hey, Lucy!"

The happy voice has the blonde turn around to see the friendly girl from before – Levy – and some other girl walking over to her.

The first thing that comes to mind is how much shorter Levy was then what she had expected, but it doesn't even take anything away from her pretty face. Her outfit was a breezy, light orange sundress, matching the bandanna in her hair, along with white sandals. She was so cute.

The girl next to Levy, though – in one word;  _wow._

The other girl was tall, all legs and curves. Her long hair was a deep red, the color of rich, rich wine and it cascaded down her shoulders like water, framing her beautiful face perfectly. She wasn't a beautiful like Lisanna, in terms of fair and innocence, but there was no denying how exotically stunning this girl was – like queen worthy. She was dressed in a tight, black turtle-neck and a green, checkered mini-skirt, with high boots. There was just something authoritative about her. It was almost...scary.

The two girls come to a stop in front of Lucy and the blonde smiles politely at them. "Uhm, hi."

Levy chuckles at the uncertain and obvious nervous tone in Lucy's voice, before saying, "Sorry for us being creepers. Erza and I were just wondering if you needed any help around the school? I know it can be kinda confusing for a new kid."

"Lucy, right?" the red-haired beauty asked and Lucy actually wasn't surprised at the rich, motherly tone she had. "I'm Erza Scarlet: class president," she introduced herself with a warm smile. "Just ask me if you ever need any help."

Lucy smiled at her, nodding gratefully. 'Scarlet, huh? The name sure does suit her.' Shuffling her school bag over her shoulders, Lucy bit her lip, before admitting, "Well, I am a bit lost."

Levy looked almost excited at that fact and moved to grab Lucy's arm, tugging her to follow them down the hall, with Erza moving to walk on Lucy's other side. "We have Biology next, you?"

"Lucy squinted and tried to remember the schedule, without having to get it out of her bag again. "Yeah, I think I have that too."

"Then what are we waiting for?" the blue head smiled. "Shall we?"

Lucy allowed herself to be dragged along, grateful for the two girl's help. Erza gave her a small smile that only radiated more of her elegant beauty, before leading the way down the hall. The blonde couldn't help but think that, for what's supposed to be small town fears of new things, Levy and Erza seemed really nice.

"Hey," Lucy piped up when they passed the science lab. "Thanks for stepping in and helping me. It was really nice of you two."

Levy waved it off as they continued to walk down the hallway, not rushing, but nowhere near as slow as what Gray had gone. "Hey, us girls need to stick together, right?"

"Right," Erza answered for Lucy. "The school may look big, but the routes are pretty simple. Just stick with us and you'll be fine."

Lucy gave another thankful nod. It was another few seconds, before Levy spoke up again.

"So, uhm...how exactly do you know Natsu Dragneel?" the blue-head's voice sounding her curiosity. "We saw you guys talking in class, so..."

"Are you guys friends or something?" Lucy's attention went to Erza. "I've never seen Natsu engage any new kid before."

That shouldn't have surprised Lucy as much as it did. "Never?"

Both newer girls shook their heads and Lucy hummed at the thought, her eyes moving to the floor as they walked. What was Natsu to her? He's infuriating – yes. And really hot and cold, but...he's also protective and kind. She wondered why nobody else in town ever saw that side to the pink-haired Dragneel. Was it because of...it was possible. It made sense.

So then...she was the one of a few people to –

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to – it's not like we're only hanging out with you for some answers," Levy's voice grew insistent at the last sentence. "We're just curious."

Lucy's head bobbed up at the voice, not having realized that she had zoned out so long to make them think she didn't want to answer. When her eyes met Levy's, the blue-head's worried expression turned in a flash, into something much more deviant. Lucy's eyes widened at the sudden shift.

"Ooh, maybe  _friend_  was the wrong word?"

Lucy hadn't even realized she had been blushing, until her hands reflexively flew up to grasp her hot cheeks, the action only further intriguing the other two girls.

"Are you dating Natsu?" Erza asked then, stopping in her steps and making the other two do the same, her voice more shocked that it needed to be, with just a hint of...worry? Lucy frantically shook her head, before looking around to make sure that the boy in question wasn't nearby to overhear this embarrassing conversation.

"Well?" Levy practically sang and Lucy's head snapped back to the two girls.

"No! I-I mean no," Lucy stuttered, finding it hard to keep looking them in the eyes. "Natsu's just my neighbor, we've hung out a couple of times, but I'm not sure he even considers me a friend yet."

Her answer holds a lot of truth and Levy's expression shifts again, this time to astonished.

"So  _that's_  where Aquarius lives? Wow, it must be pretty interesting to live next door to the Dragneel's."

Erza gives Levy a disapproving look, before turning to help Lucy out with the confused, helpless look playing on her features. "We tried being friends with the Dragneel's back when they were really new. They were kinda shy back then though and just sort of stuck to the Redfox's"

Lucy blinked at the other family surname. Where had she heard it before?

"Yeah, I think you're the only other person I've seen Natsu interact with...well, that didn't end up in a fight anyway." Levy said and Lucy smiled at the two still very curious girls, before lifting her shoulders in a small shrug.

"I think I lucked out because I got to move in next door to Lisanna and Natsu over the summer."

"Hmm," Erza hummed crossing her arms. "What's it like to live next door to them? Are they nice to you?"

"Well judging from earlier, I'd say that Natsu's pretty nice to her," Levy hummed.

Lucy blushed again at the casual statement and cleared her throat, getting both girls to focus on her – Levy with eager eyes and Erza with a curiously raised brow. "I can honestly say it's always...interesting living next door to them," Lucy answered a bit breathlessly. "I like it, it made the summer easier to live through. Lisanna is super sweet." Her eyes slowly lower to her shoes as her cheeks warm again. "As for Natsu...I spent a lot of time with him during it, and I guess I grew a bit of appreciation for him."

A strange sound comes from Levy that can only be described as cheeky. "An  _appreciation_ , huh?" Levy's tone has Lucy cover her eyes and let out an embarrassed moan.

Why was she getting so uncomfortable?

"Stop it, Levy. You're making her blush," Erza's unamused voice says and Lucy suddenly wants to hug her.

"What?" the blue-head asks. "We're all friends here and I know what a crush sounds like."

Lucy's heart skips a beat at the word.

Crush?

Did she have a crush on Natsu? A flash of that warm look in Natsu's usually cold eyes flows though her mind and Lucy feels her heard do that flutter thing again.

_Oh no._

"You're gonna make her not want to hang out with us. Besides...it's not right to tease that sort of thing, considering..."

Lucy looks back at the two girls and Levy catches her eyes, an apologetic look flowing in them when they meet.

"You're right...I'm sorry Lucy," the short girl says and Lucy's quick to smile back, her head shaking once.

"No, really it's okay. It's just..." she bites the inside her of lips unsurely as she looks at the two girls. They didn't seem like the type of people to run and tell the entire school all her secrets...maybe. "It's just um," Lucy sighs small-y. "I don't really understand my own feelings right now." Or not ready to admit them, a voice in her head voices.

Erza's expression grows softer, like she understands completely somehow and Lucy's still busy thinking just how pretty the girl looks with that kind of expression – when the red head suddenly pulls her into a bone crushing hug.

Lucy let out an " _Eep!_ " at the action and goes limp at the impossibly strong hold of the other girl, letting out a huff of surprised breath when Erza releases her.

"Don't worry about it," Erza says comfortingly. "If you want to talk, we're here to listen, and don't mind Levy. She's a romantic at heart."

"Like you're one to talk," Levy mutters self-consciously.

Erza seems to tenses lightly and Lucy just barely spots the tiny taint of pink that ghosts over the red-head's cheeks. It was adorable.

"Anyway, as far as Natsu goes, I wouldn't wouldn't be surprised if you had a bit of the hots for him," Levy says, eyes back on Lucy. "It's sort of a phase most girls go through at this school. You're not the first one to fall under his spell." As she says this, Levy's eyes drift further up the hallway, to a group of giggling girls.

Lucy recognizes one of them as the girl who glared at her.

"Some girls get over it faster than other," Levy sighs pitifully, before titling her head thoughtfully at Lucy. "Although, he seems to have a soft spot for you."

Lucy's brow furrows at the words. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"

Erza took that as her cue to answer. "Well, first of all: when he first arrived on campus, almost all the girls were all over him. Second of all: how can you not notice?"

Levy decides to take pity on the confused look Lucy gives her friend. "The fact that maybe,  _just_ maybe he has feelings for you?"

The blush comes back with a vengeance and Lucy's clumsiness, aggravatingly, joins the party, almost having the blonde trip over thin air as they stand there in the almost empty hallway. Luckily, she manages to catch herself.

"What!?" Lucy's blood red face mouths. "That's absolutely crazy." The two other girls share a look.

"Come on, when class started, he made a beeline for your desk – no one else, just yours," Levy said, pointing a dainty finger at the blonde as if to make her point.

"It's because we know each other, that's all!" Lucy fumbled for words.

"He knows almost everyone in this school, Lucy," Even Erza's voice sounds laced with humor as she stares at the blonde, hands on her hips. "It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone."

Unable to help herself and her face flushed red, Lucy glances away as her heart squeezes at the unlikely idea of Natsu possibly liking her. She had to stop it from doing that.

'That's crazy though, right?'

She feels a gentle hand on her shoulder then and the blonde looks up at the two smiling girls.

"Just so you know, and to make you feel better, your secret is safe with us." Erza says, before shrugging. "It's alright to have a crush – but in Natsu's case, it is better to not make anything out of it."

"Huh?" Lucy's brow furrows.

"...Yeah," Levy hums, her bottom lip sticking out slightly in disappointment. When Lucy blinks at her, the short girl smiles. "All kidding aside, Natsu isn't exactly the kind of guy you should be setting your sights on –  _but_ ," she winks at her. "I can introduce you to some other options too. I know a certain raven that's single."

Letting go of the skeptical-ism, Lucy lets out a laugh, finding the shorter girl's eagerness contagious. Levy was a ball of sunshine – a sassy ball of sunshine.

"Alright," Erza huffs. "Enough about Natsu Dragneel. Lucy, why don't you tell us about yourself?"

Deciding Erza was now her knight in a mini-skirt, Lucy felt herself relax with the change of subject as the three girls continued to walk down the hallway again.

"I don't know what to say, uhm, I'm from Florida," the blonde said after a moment of thoughtful silence.

Levy looked utterly insulted at the statement and Lucy giggled at the look she gave her. "You moved from Florida to here, why? I feel like I should say sorry on behalf of the town!"

"I don't know – I mean I really miss Florida, but West Virginia isn't so bad. It has it's highlights."

"I agree," Erza nodded. "I like the town."

Levy made a humming sound, before saying, "Yeah, I'm sure it's the _town_ you're so dedicated to." Her words had the red-head's face flame again and she sent the shorter girl a warning glare.

"Oh my word, Levy.  _Stop!_ "

Levy's giggle had Lucy blinking in confusion and the blue-haired girl shook her head when she caught her eye.

"Erza's been in a serious relationship for years with this one guy – Jellal. Trust me, if you saw them together, you'd be laughing too.  _They're adorable._ " The last sentence was more of a cheeky whisper and it made Erza growl out another warning.

A bell rang in Lucy's head at the boy's name and she snapped her fingers at the memory. "Jellal! He's one of the waiters at the Smoke Hole Diner, right?" She looked from the blushing Erza to the smirking Levy. "I saw him a few days ago, he served me and a friend."

"That's the one," Levy sang, a happy glint in her eyes. "Cute, right?"

Erza's disapproving grunt had Lucy join in on the laughter this time and she gave an apologetic smile to the red-head afterwards. So Erza was the scary girlfriend Lisanna had told her about? Lisanna hadn't been exaggerating. Erza really was pretty. Lucy couldn't believe she hadn't automatically clicked when Erza introduced herself.

"I actually work there some weekends too," Levy said, her voice now calmer and Lucy blinked in surprise. She hadn't seen the blue-haired girl there that day, maybe she had been off?

"Does it pay well?"

Levy's expression turned more sour and shrugged. "It's not so bad, I mainly get paid in tips, but in such a small town, I don't always get too lucky."

"It's probably because you like to get into all your customers business," Erza said under her breath and Lucy giggled.

"Anyway, Lucy," Levy then said and Lucy's eyes moved the other girl. "It's really nice to have you here. Especially since we don't get new people around here too often." She then turns to Erza, an unsure look on her face. "When was the last time we had fresh blood mixed in our pool again?"

"Freshmen year. When the Redfox's and Dragneel's arrived on the scene," Erza replied factually.

Lucy stays quiet for a while as the two girls remenace about that time they had first seen the Dragneel siblings. Redfox….hadn't she heard that name before? Wasn't it that Gajeel's surname? Did that mean that just Gajeel, Natsu and Lisanna came to the town at the exact same time? She knew they were family friends, but….why would only three new students group up together?

Was that why everyone kept their distance from Natsu and Lisanna? Because they stayed in their little bubble?

Lucy must have been voicing her thoughts out loud, because the background voices suddenly paused and she blinks back to see them looking at her, having stopped walking again.

"...What's wrong?" Lucy asked when they continued to stare.

"You...don't know?" A sad look creeps into Levy's eyes then and she bites her lower lip – like she just realized she had made a mistake about something. Lucy just couldn't understand what it was about.

"Know what?" the blonde asks, her brows furrowing at the weird, sorry uneasy expressions she gets from the two girls.

Erza sighs at her tone and Lucy focuses her stare on her for clearance. "It makes sense, Levy," Erza says, still regarding Lucy with that look. "Natsu and Lisanna were hurt pretty badly by what happened. I doubt they would have told her."

"What do you..." the blonde's heart hammer in her nervous chest at the mention of her neighbors. They two friends look uneasy, like they weren't sure if they should share someone else's private information with someone and Lucy's eyes softened. Had something happened to Natsu and Lisanna after all?

"You guys don't have to answer if you don't want to, but..." She really did want to know.

Levy's eyes close for a frustrated second. "It's not really our place, Lucy...but um...the Dragneel's…." her eyes flick over to Erza for a mini second, before returning to Lucy. "There used to be more than just two siblings."

Lucy frowned at that. "What?"

"Levy!" Erza frowned, but Levy only sighed.

"There's no point in hiding it, Erza. The whole town already knows, she'd find out eventually anyway." Her voice turned more soft towards the end, like the whatever this incident was, had happened pretty recently.

"Is it true? Did...did Lisanna and Natsu have another sibling?" Lucy's voice soft too. Why hadn't Lisanna mentioned this?

Erza still looks troubled with the whole conversation, this taboo subject, but eventually gives in and looks tiredly at Lucy. "His name was Zeref."

Zeref?

The name didn't sound familiar to the blonde, who just furrowed her eyebrows at the name. "Zeref Dragneel?"

Levy nodded. "Yeah, Zeref. He was a great guy. You know how Natsu's all dark and edgy? Well, Zeref was the complete opposite – he was really friendly, a little shy, but nice. Him and Natsu were really close too. You'd always see them together, messing around. You see, Natsu used to be a little less...mean and angry."

Lucy's frowned at that, trying to comprehend the new information. Did Natsu and Lisanna really have a secret brother, and not tell her?

"This is wrong, talking about the dead like this," Erza whispered and Lucy's eyes shifted to the red-haired girl.

"What do you mean dead? What happened?" Erza's eyes didn't meet hers and Levy sighed, before answering.

"One day Zeref just…I don't know how to say this..."

"Vanished," Erza said. "He just vanished one day."

Something cold swept up Lucy's form, her mind begrudgingly going back to that man from the library. She had to force herself to ask her speak again. "What...what do you mean he vanished?"

Erza shrugged, a small action. "As in, one day we came to school and it was just Natsu and Lisanna."

"-Well that's not entirely true though," Levy hummed. "There are the rumors."

"What rumors?" Lucy automatically asked, her skepticism coming back. Levy gives another nervous look though and Lucy can practically feel the discomfort radiating off of the two girls, but she eventually spoke up, though her voice was quiet.

"This town is the epicenter of weirdness, you know. Some of the people here just don't act right."

Lucy vaguely remembers the conversation shed had with Lisanna at the diner – how some people gave off hollow, weird stares. Her mind then flashed to the women at the store when she first got here, how she'd seemed to hate the very sight of Lisanna….and then there was the man at the library too…

"Yeah," the blonde voices. "I think I'm getting that part."

Erza sighs then and shakes herself, as if to get rid of the tense, creepy atmosphere. She then glances at her watch and frowns, before jerking her head in the direction of up the hall and Lucy and Levy follow behind her.

"Wait – what about..." Lucy's eyes drop to her shoes as she follows, unhappy with how the conversation had ended. Erza's shoulders slump slightly, before sighing again.

"Okay, if you really want to know..." her eyes move to the blonde girl who meets her stare. "This might sound crazy crazy, so lets get one thing straight – I don't believe in any of this, okay?" Lucy nods unsurely. "Good, a lot of people in this town do though and it's overbearing sometimes."

"Hmm," Levy sounds on Lucy's other side, but doesn't say anything.

"Anyway," Erza's low voice says and Lucy leans the slightest bit closer. "There are rumors about how, in our little town, there are strange...beings..."

Lucy straightens at the word. "Beings...like vampires or Mothman?" She sees Levy grimace at the second option in the corner of her eye.

"Gross – no, not like Mothman," the blue-head says disgusted, before a thoughtful look crosses her face. "...Although...there have been rumors of shadow creatures that look like moths flying around."

Erza frowns at the small, thinking girl, before clearing her throat and taking the lead in the explanation again. "The beings we're talking about are beings who are-"

Before Erza can finish speaking, she opens the door to their AP Biology class. Lucy's eyes _just_ catch the room number and the teachers name underneath in bold letters. But the second the name processes in her head, her eyes widen in recognition.

Laxus Dreyar – hadn't she heard –

Whatever she was about to say is lost to space and time when the world around them suddenly stops.

The man standing intimidatingly in front of the front desk immediately has Lucy wanting to shrink into her school bag. Never before has she seen such a largely-built, scary-looking man and he was glaring right at her with sharp eyes!

His hair was just a tad longer than a buzz cut – a dark, yellow color that easily shows off the long, lightning bolt-like scar that runs over his one eye. He looked more like a retired, pro-wrestler than anybody who had any business in a classroom.

The man's eyes narrow in on Lucy, who stiffens at the angry glare, before she watches his thin lips flinch distastefully.

"Ladies, will the three of you please take your seats and not block the doorway?" his voice low and raspy, and it only makes him all the more aggressive-looking. Lucy doesn't have to guess who he is however, because the girls on either side of her reply to him automatically.

"Yes, Mr Dreyar."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy sort of meets Lisanna and Natsu's friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you lovely people!
> 
> Sorry for the...I think two week wait? I'm going through exams right now, so updates will take longer than the preferred one-week period. (Sorry!)
> 
> So I've worked it out and I think this work will have about 24-27 chapters. I might stretch it out to 30, at the most. Hopefully you guys won't lose interest before the last chapter (^-^)
> 
>  
> 
> So I'd like to take the time to THANK YOU WONDERFUL, SUPPORTIVE, SWEET PEOPLE. ;D You're reviews always make me smile! Also, thanks for the kudos!
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter (CHAPTER 10!!)
> 
> Please let me know what you think and sorry for any mistakes.

 

 Lisanna Dragneel was a shy girl.

There was no denying that fact, but she had her reasons. Making friends was hard, especially when you weren't able to make them as freely as any other high school students. That's why she was so happy and grateful to have Lucy in her life now. The blonde girl was a blast to be around, so different, so understanding. It also helped that she was so nice. Lisanna could mostly be herself around her. She could enjoy herself.

Lisanna smiled to herself as she opened her locker's door. The combination was easy enough to remember – she had made it Natsu's birthday. She had thought it was cute at the time and had forced him to do the same with his own locker. It made it easy for her to not forget, but it also made it easy for Natsu to steal her notebooks and sometimes the little snacks she kept hidden in her locker. She could have easily done the same to him, but knew better. Natsu's notebooks were less than impressive and any snacks he got his hands on weren't likely to survive more than a couple minutes.

The silver-haired girl's smile grew wider at the thought while she searched for her History textbook. It was her first class of the day and she wanted to get to the classroom as early as possible. Luckily she and Natsu had made it in record time to the campus, but Lisanna refused to take anymore chances and had jogged all the way to her locker, leaving her brother to fend for himself. She didn't feel too bad. He'd most likely go find Gajeel or something.

Having found the heavy textbook, Lisanna proceeds to stuff the old thing in her bag, her thoughts slowly shifting back on her newest friend. It was still really early. Lucy was probably just finishing getting ready. It had only been after she had parked outside the school when she realized that she didn't even know what classes Lucy took. She really hoped they had some together…maybe she should text her?

A targeted sneaker sounded behind her and Lisanna's shoulders flinched at the familiar sound and moves to peep over her shoulder, against her better judgment.

Three girls stood a couple lockers down from hers, but their bodies were all directed towards her, their faces scrunched up in taunting expressions. One of the girls – a pretty, curve-y raven – caught Lisanna's nervous eyes and her smile grew into a mocking smirk, and Lisanna watched with hitched breath as the girl whispered something to the other two girls. Whatever she said had them tittering hasterically again and Lisanna's hand tightened on the locker door self-conceriously, before slowly turning away from them.

'Just ignore them. Don't listen.'

The sound of their high-heeled shoes echoed closer and the silver-haired girl tenses more at the sound, closing her eyes tightly and keeping her body facing her locker.

The girls only brushed past her with a heart-clenching, slow pace, but not without huffing out little comments and little directed-giggles.

" _Freak,_ " one of them snorts a little too closely to the silver-head's ear and Lisanna shrinks in closer to her locker, trying to ignore the way her chest squeezes at the word.

'Don't listen to them. You're okay.'

Another burst of mocking laughter sounds and Lisanna's eyes clench tighter, before drastically moving away from her locker and slamming it closed. Her eyes are watery when she turns away from the scene in front of her and pushes past the steadily student-growing hallway. She refuses to cry in front of them.

She had to find Natsu.

Unfortunately, with her quick, hasty steps, Lisanna doesn't pay much attention to her surroundings and one of the female students almost aggressively bumps into her shoulder, sending her strap-y bag off her shoulder and onto the floor with a ** _thud_**. Lisanna's body moves with the bag unsteadily, but before she can hit the ground too, her body falls against a hard chest instead.

Yelping, Lisanna almost jumps back to get away from the other student, but her sneakers slip from under her and then she's tripping backwards again. " _Wow there!_ " This time, however, she feels the guy from before reach out and quickly grabs her arms and steadies her, before she can meet her behind.

Lisanna flinches at the strong grasp by second nature and is already opening her mouth to apologize so she can scurry off, but freezes when her eyes meet those of her rescuer.

Those have got to be the  _brightest_  color of green she's ever seen.

Lisana's eyes widen at the look of the pretty emeralds, and as she does, she sees something flicker in them as well. Something like curiosity and bewildment.

The two just stare at each other for what feels like an eternity and Lisanna feels her cheeks pink-en at the lops-y grin that slowly stretches over his lips. It's in that moment when she catches the hushed, yet insistent whispers from behind the boy and the silver-haired beauty quickly snaps out of her trance. The atmosphere around them breaks into the busy sound of students shuffling around them and Lisanna flinches at it.

The man's brows furrow at her expression and mistakenly thinks it's caused by him, and his now lighter grasp on her arms let go and fall to his sides, before clearing his throat.

"Sorry about that, you alright?" the man's voice is scratchy and unintentionally aggressive-sounding and Lisanna swallows, her eyes fluttering away from him and down at the ground nervously.

There's a beat of silence, before the man speaks up again. "Uh, here." His voice startles the lithe girl and Lisanna looks back to see him crouch down to gather up her textbook and a few notebooks that had fallen out of her bag and scattered over the floor.

The sight of him hurrying to pack her books up has Lisanna's eyes widen as her blush steadily brightens. A second later and he's back on his feet, before Lisanna can even think about helping him – it was her fault after all. With a confident smile, still slightly lob-sided, he offers the shoulder-bag back to her and the silver-head takes it with careful hands.

"You look familiar, you're not new here, are you?" the man states more than asks and Lisanna can only bob her head wordlessly as an answer. She was surprised he didn't know her. He tilts his head at her as he regards her, his blue mohawk falling messily to the one side in the process. "The name's Bickslow. I think...yeah, I've seen ya around, you're always in a rush."

His voice isn't condescending, more like friendly, but Lisanna's still nervous with his incredibly bright, green eyes staring at her so intently. She knows who he is, sort of. She's seen him a couple of times at the back of the school, usually skipping class or riding his skateboard in town. He's got a reputation for ditching school, anyone in the small town could tell you that much, but Lisanna had never actually gotten the chance to meet him – and honestly, she didn't think she'd be bothered with it. He seemed like a bit of a troublemaker.

Still, as the poor, on-edge-girl fiddled with the short strands of hair falling over her face, she found that she couldn't look away from him.

"You okay?" he asks, stepping one foot closer to her, his hands un-surely flexing at his side, like he doesn't know what to do with her nervous expression. The gesture forces a tiny smile on the Dragneel girl's face and she timidly nods her head.

"U-uhm, yes..." she manages to say almost too softly, her eyes unable to leave him, but her arms move to hug herself as her own shield or as encouragement. "I already – I mean...I already know who you are.." In the back of her head there was a voice telling her she shouldn't be talking to this guy, that somehow it would turn out bad for her. Like he'd suddenly mock her or push her away in some cruel joke. She wasn't really sure why she was still standing there like an idiot. Still, she went against the voice and just stood the frigiting in place.

"I'm that famous, huh?" he laughs – a loud, almost obnoxious sound and it makes her eyes widen at how carefree it seemed. "Hey, I don't want to disappoint you, but I gotta warn you not to believe everything they say about me. A lot of it's just garbage my mates made up. Man, I bet you heard the worst ones too." He almost sounds worried when he says that last part, that stretched-out grin shrinking in his sudden nervousness. It takes her by surprise.

Lisanna's back straightens and she quickly shakes her head frantically. "Oh n-no! It's nothing bad-I mean I don't gossip or listen to-I would never-"

"W-oah," he chuckles and Lisanna shrinks into herself in her slight embarrassment, watching him from behind her silky, silver strips of hair. He's still smiling, to her relief and the lithe girl feels her chest warm up with the amused, yet not mocking, filter in his eyes. She can't help but glance at the strange, man-shaped tattoo that takes over most of his face. It's so _weird_ , so strikingly different – and it suits him profoundly. It's not the only thing that stands out though. He has heavy eyeliner framing his green eyes, only making them stand out more. A good choice, she wants to say, but knows it would only make her seem stranger. She'd rather just gawk at those eyes in private. The blue mohawk is something to be admired too, accompanied with black, shaved sides. The hairstyle wasn't something just anybody could pull off. He's….odd. She found herself really liking it.

"Relax, k?" he says then. "Don't go fainting on me, I don't do well with sick people."

Lisanna smiles small-y at the plead and nods, her body slowly relaxing again.

"Wait a minute," realization suddenly dawns over the boy, who tilts his head at the little silverette. A crockered grin than grows over his tan face, before he says, "You're that weird Dragneel girl, right?"

The smiles tightens on Lisanna's face and she feels something sink in her chest at the word.  _Weird. Of course._  What had she been expecting? He's still watching her and Lisanna nods shortly in confirmation, her eyes dropping to the floor again.

"Thought so. I've seen you around with Natsu…Lisanna, yeah? You..." his voice slowly fades though at the expression on her face. It's quiet for a second as he retraces the conversation, before swearing under his breath. The sound makes the girl flinch again, back into her shield and Bickslow is quick to apologize. "Shit," he swears again and there's actually regret in his voice. "Lisanna, hey-"

She partly turns away from him then and Bickslow stops short. Her chest suddenly feels tight again and she adjusts the strap of her bag, if only to keep her hands busy. "I-um, I have class..so." Her voice is soft when she talks, but trails off at the end. Some part of her still wants to stay and talk, but previous experience weighs down on that hope. She just barely sees something register in his eyes, before he nods.

She was so stupid.

What would be the point anyway? Not with...

Gripping her book-bag tighter and pushing down the feeling of disappointment and self-stupidity, she turns fully away from Bickslow and starts to walk away – when he calls out to her –

"Lisanna!"

The silver-haired girl stops instantly at the loud voice and forces her nerves down, before turning slightly to look back at him.

"It was nice meeting you," he smiled, making Lisanna's breath catch. "...and by the way, I  _like_ weird."

Her eyes widen at the declaration and the warmth in her chest comes back ten-fold. It's a stupid thing to be giddy about and not something she of all people should be focused on...but...

She eventually smiles small at him, before turning around again.

It's okay to thrive in the small things. It's not like she'll ever get them again.

* * *

Lucy stares in shock and horror as her biology teacher – Laxus Dreyar – coolly stares past Levy and Erza and looks straight at her. His dark gaze seems to pierce right through her soul as he pointedly arches a single eyebrow.

"This is the second time I'm asking and don't make me ask a third: will you ladies  _kindly_  take your seats and not block the doorway?" there's clear irritation in his low, scary voice now.

Lucy feels frozen standing there facing the man she'd been curious about weeks ago and only shakes out of her haze when Levy nudges her side, before she and Erza make their way to one of the workbenches. Lucy, however, continues to stand frozen as she stares at the meaner-looking version of Hercules.

She'd never met him before, but she hadn't had the best impression of him when she overheard Gajeel and Natsu talking about him. Now, when she actually got to see him, she couldn't deny that there was something frightening about him. Her heart's was insistently pounding in her chest and the palms of her hands were starting to sweat.

Laxus's lips curl unhappily into a scowl as he glares at the disobedient blonde and she watches him push away from his desk.

Lucy's eyes only grow wider at how tall he becomes at the movement. She was sure that her head would be situated somewhere at the lower part of his chest! Yep, Laxus Dreyar now stood at the top of the 'tallest men in this weird town' list.

"Excuse me, miss, but your friends have sat down. Will you please follow suit?" His tone isn't nearly as polite as his words.

Whatever haze she's in, Lucy quickly snaps out of it by his impatient tone and grabs the straps of her bag nervously. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to hold people up."

The large man blinks once, slowly and unsatisfied, before glancing towards the clock on the wall of his classroom. "It's less about you holding people up and more about the fact that you're a fucking safety hazard standing over there like some statue."

Lucy's second apology falters at the sound of her teacher swearing so openly in class, but thinks better of calling him out on it, and instead lowers her head in another apology. "Right...I'm going to sit now, sorry."

"Yes, go sit down and we'll start class once you do."

With that said, the blonde hurries past him and glances quickly around the classroom, eyes searching for Lisanna. Some students stare back at her with curious eyes, others more with pity from what just took place, but Lucy doesn't worry about them at the moment.

Nope, Lisanna isn't here either – neither is Natsu.

Lucy doesn't pause for a minute though and quickly makes her way to an empty seat next to Erza. She can feel Laxus's piercing gaze watch her every move as she shrugs off her bag, places it on the floor and shuffles the bar-like stool closer to the long, white table.

"Hey, you okay?" Erza whispers, leaning the slightest of bits closer to her. Lucy makes to answer when a crunched up piece of paper gently hits the back of her head and she peeps overs her shoulder to see Levy sitting on a bar-stool at another table and watches as the small girl also leans forwards, using a book to cover her face.

"Yeah, what was that all about back there?" came the hushed sound of Levy's whisper. "You looked like you saw a ghost."

Lucy bites her lip at the question. "It's...complicated," was her reply and it draws a small gasp from the smaller girl and, in result, had the boy sitting next to Levy frown at her. Levy doesn't seem to notice though and leans even closer, her stool almost dipping at the action.

"Complicated? That sounds like a scandal." Her excited whisper has the boy at her side grunt annoyingly at her and this time Levy turns to frown back at him, before looking over to where Laxus is busy with another student. Lucy blinks and looks too. When she looks back, she sees Levy tuck under and softly sneak herself and her stool over to Lucy's table.

The blonde huffs under her breath at the sight, but doesn't say more, her eyes moving to check if Laxus had noticed what just happened. Still busy – good.

"So what's the dirt?" Levy whispers then, now sitting comfortingly next to Lucy, her textbook still acting as a cover device. "Is he mafia or your aunt's ex? What?"

"I think you guys would know before me if my aunt had dated him," Lucy whispers back. "...anyway, it's kinda not my place to say. It's just complicated."

The school bell rings again, signaling the start of class and Erza shushes any further details Levy tries to get out of the blonde, each girl then actually moving their attention to the front of the class where Laxus has taken control over again.

"All right, everyone," the teacher says. "Now that class has officially begun: Welcome back to AP Biology." His voice is still as uninterested and gruff as before, but Lucy manages to keep from flinching each time his loud voice sounds. How can anyone focus on the work with such an intimidating man teaching the class?

Even when they start jotting down notes, Lucy finds herself looking back questioningly at the professor. Laxus wasn't a popular name around here, right? This had to be the same Laxus that Natsu had been talking about with Gajeel.

The rest of the class flies by in a blur with Mr Dreyar proving to be a no-nonsense teacher.

There's only one student who seems brave enough – or maybe dumb enough to try and push his buttons every once in a while; some boy named Bickslow. Lucy feels herself pitying the guy when Laxus tells him to come see him after school. It receives an unhappy whine from the mohawk boy, but he eventually gives in. She'd give him one thing – he didn't seem to scare easily.

"Hey Lucy, Erza and I were talking and –"

"We wanted to know if you'd like to have lunch with us?" the red-head finished, already finished having packed up her belongings.

Lucy's brows rise for a fraction of a second, before smiling happily at the two girls and nods. Seems she didn't have to worry about the whole making new friends part after all.

"Awesome!" Levy grins and hops off her stool, Lucy and Erza following. "So we usually eat in the cafeteria, but sometimes we sneak out to get some sunshine – though I like the library too."

"- but," Erza pitches in. "We agreed that those trips would only be on during exam times." Levy waves her off, before smiling back at Lucy.

"At least now with an extra girl, I can get some girl talk in, instead of trying to engage Gray in some conversation he isn't interested in." Lucy brightens at the familiar name, but Erza's the first one to reply to Levy's statement.

"You can always talk to me during lunch?"

"I don't think I want to take any of your precious time away from Mr Fernandez."

"Hey, I think I met Gray before," Lucy pipes up, smiling when both girls turn to look at her, Erza slightly flushing, but it calms down at the mention of the Fullbuster boy. "He's got a scar on his forehead, right? He helped me get to my first class today."

"Yeah, that's Gray," Erza nods. "He's part of our group, but sometimes he likes to skip lunch to take a nap on the field."

"Crazy how you already met all the guys in our group," Levy hums, but she's seems happy about it.

"He's nice," Lucy smiles. "A little shy though, I think?"

Erza gets that almost motherly look in her eyes again as she smiles. "Only when the mood hits him. He's awkward like that – but I am glad to hear that he's helping out. He can be lazy sometimes."

Lucy giggles at the annoyed look that crosses Erza's face. She has a feeling that the two were old friends.

"Anyway, lets go show you the cafeteria," Levy suggest and grunts softly as she throws her bag over her small shoulders. Lucy only then realizes just how full the bag is – books were straining against the inner fabric. One of them stick out just enough for her to be able to tell that it isn't a school book.

'Huh, a fellow bookworm?'

"Hhm," Erza nods in agreement and takes her own bag. "The boys are probably already there. Ready Lucy?"

Lucy nods with a smile and gathers her own stuff, before following them across the room. Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Mr Dreyar packing away his notes. His every movement is almost calculated and it may sound stupid...but she gets the strangest feeling like he's waiting for her or something.

That's when she realizes that she had stopped short of exiting the classroom. Levy and Erza stand a foot ahead of her, both with questioning looks on their faces. Lucy blinks at them, before looking back at her teacher. His head raises and he meets her eyes. A flinching fear runs through Lucy when it happens, but she finds herself unable to leave.

Maybe….if he wants to confront her, maybe she should beat him to it?

"Lucy? You coming?" Erza asks from behind her and Lucy blinks away from the scarily, big man to look at her new friends. She makes up her mind.

"Why don't guys go on ahead and I'll find you in a bit? I just have some biology system questions I want to ask Mr Dreyar."

Understanding dawns on the two girls and Lucy smiles as they nod. "In that case, we'll see you in the cafeteria – just head straight down the hall on the left. You'll eventually see it," Levy instructs, before she and Erza turn around.

After Levy and Erza exit the classroom, the hair on the back of Lucy's neck starts to stand as she slowly looks back at her teacher. He's staring – or more to the point glaring at her and she inhales and exhales deeply, refusing her body's urge to run away. She didn't know why, but he just seemed to truly hate her. She hadn't missed the way he had been watching her with hidden, angry glares during the lesson – and she had a feeling that it had something to do with her neighbors and whatever secret they were keeping.

Was he involved in it? Gajeel had told Natsu that Laxus wouldn't like him hanging out with her...so she guesses yes? Maybe it was unjustly to group him into whatever it was that was haunting the Dragneel siblings, but she couldn't shake the feeling. She had to know for sure.

"It's just us now, Lax – I mean, Mr Dreyar," Lucy internally scolds herself for messing up his name, her eyes dropping embarrassingly to her shoes. If she wanted to make peace with this guy, for whatever reason he had against her, she had to get on his good side first. She hears the sound of papers rustling and a drawer opening and closing. When the blonde looks up to him again, he doesn't seem bothered with her anymore, and then his giant form moves to lean against the front of his desk. Lucy shrinks slightly at the poorly-hidden distaste for her he holds in his stare. Why did he hate her so much without ever meeting her?

"That it is, Miss Heartfilia. And is there anything you'd like to say or do?" It almost sounds like he's challenging her and Lucy's hands grasp tightly onto her bag's straps.

"I...I want answers."

"And exactly what kind of questions are you asking?" His eyes narrow down on her. "I can't give answers that don't have questions." There's an air of indifference in his voice and she feels her throat start to close in on itself.

"Natsu and Lisanna..." she answers after some time. "And who you are to them, I guess." She hears a slight scoff and he scowls.

"That's not a question."

"I..."

He suddenly exhales through his nose, an impatient sound, as he looks her squarely in the eye. "Exactly why should I answer any of your questions, Miss Heartfilia? How is anything of my life got anything to do with you?" His sharp voice has the blonde biting her lip, suddenly feeling silly for doing this. Was she really confronting a teacher  _just_  because she thought he was _possibly_ tormenting her neighbors? She didn't even have any proof of that fact except for the small bit of conversation she had heard Natsu and Gajeel have about the man – which she didn't even know the full context of.

"I...don't know," is her soft reply.

Another scoff and Laxus moves away from his desk, speaking over his shoulder at her. "Go to lunch, now, Miss Heartfilia."

Feeling numb, Lucy grips her bag tighter and obediently goes to exit the room. If she was luckily something more embarrassing than this little encounter would happen to her and she'd have something else to bite her lip awkwardly about.

'I mean accusing your teacher of tormenting you neighbors – on the first day? Come on, Heartfilia!'

"If you must know, I am a guardian of sorts for Natsu and Lisanna." the low hum of Mr Dreyar's sudden voice has Lucy pause just before the door, her eyes widening, before she turns to look back at him.

"What?"

He frowns back at her, but doesn't say anymore as he moves away from the desk and walks past her. He doesn't look back when he leaves the classroom and Lucy can only watch him as he goes, feeling more confused than she had before confronting him.

* * *

The first thing that hits Lucy when she enters the cafeteria is the stench of overcooked food and disinfectant.

"Wow," she gaps at the sight of the crowded room, her nose scrunching up in disgust. 'This place is kinda...unpleasant.'

The second thing that crosses her mind is the noise; the humdrum buzz of students chatting away their lunch hour. Back in Florida she had an open campus. No cafeterias. Less noise. She used to just sit outside and eat, so this was beyond new and strange for the blonde.

Walking in fully past the entrance, Lucy's eyes scan the area, but the overcrowded room is hard to find any familiar faces. She did want to take up Levy and Erza's offer and sit with them, but she also wanted to find Lisanna. Maybe they could all sit together?

Giving up on her pointless search, Lucy moves to the shortened lunch line and picks up a tray on the way. Maybe she'd feel a bit better once she got some food in her system.

When she gets in the slowly moving line, she feels a tap on her shoulder from behind. Her first thought is that it's Lisanna and Lucy twirls around with a relieved smile, but the girl standing before here is Levy. Her smile stays though when the smaller girl grins back.

"Hey, you found the cafeteria! It wasn't too hard, was it?"

"No," the blonde shakes her head. "It was pretty easy – thanks for the directions."

Levy grins wider and jerks her head in the direction of the food. "It's a good thing you made it, spaghetti's on the menu today."

Lucy's eyes move to the displayed food, but can't quite spot it yet. "Is it really that good?"

"No, no really, but it's waaaaay better than the pizza." Lucy grins at that.

"Oh? How do you ruin pizza though?"

Levy's lips purse in disgust when she says, "Easy: make it taste like cardboard with a thin layer of cheese spray glued on top."

Lucy grimaces at the description, before shuffling upward when the line moves. Levy follows along too. When it's Lucy's turn to order, she looks down at the options and sees two options for the spaghetti. For some insane (and yet merciful) reason there is a vegan option and she orders it in a heartbeat, not even bothering with the other food. Next time, she'll just bring her own lunch.

The lunch lady slaps some organic noodles onto her plate and then asks what source she would prefer, directing Lucy's eyes down to the various options. Lucy feels her stomach clench at the look of them, never mind the smell.

"No thanks, dry is fine," Lucy smiles politely, although her voice is slightly weaker and she earns herself a strange look from the lady.

When she moves away, it's Levy's turn and the blue-head orders the normal platter and even takes some source too. Lucy's stomach clenches uncomfortedly again as the lunch lady proceeds to throw some sort of spludgy, red sludge over Levy's food. It smells oddly of pumpkin…

She wonders how long that stuff had been reheated for.

Levy catches her stare and smiles understandingly. "Don't worry. It's not half as bad as it looks….but it's still pretty nasty."

"I'll just have to take your word for it."

The two girls pay for their meal and leave the line, Lucy following behind the short girl, her eyes going back to searching the room.

"So, I know we already asked, but I just wanted to make sure," Levy says as they walk slowly. "Do you want to sit at our table?"

Lucy's eyes fall back to her new friend, but before she can answer –

"Lucy, over here!"

Lucy stops short and turns to see Lisanna on the other side cafeteria, waving as she walks into the room. Lucy smiles automatically at the sight of her missing friend and waves back.

"Wait, you're friends with Lisanna too?" Levy sounds surprised and Lucy meets her eyes again and blinks.

"Uhm, yes. Why's that weird?"

Levy glances to the side and Lucy watches with confused eyes as the blue-head chews the inside of her lip. Lucy can't help but feel like she's contemplating something.

"Listen," the blonde voices, getting Levy's eyes to turn back on her. "If it's none of my business, than it's none of my business, but Lisanna is my friend." Her thoughts go back to the conversation she'd had with the two girls, before they got interrupted.

Levy sighs at the words and looks at her with genuine concern in her eyes. "I have nothing against her – honest, but...it's actually common knowledge around this school, but since you're new..." Levy shakes her head. "Are you sure you want to know about this? It might ruin your relationship with the Dragneels."

Lucy sighs too. "Hey, Natsu and Lisanna are my friends, at least I consider them that way, so whatever rumors are going around about them, I don't care."

The blue-head's eyes drop then, before looking around and then going back to Lucy, her voice a small whisper. "It's not a rumor, Lucy. It's...it's facts."

"What facts?"

A brief moment of silence passes before Levy's shoulder slump as if she just wants to get this conversation over with now. "The fact is that the last girl who sat with the Dragneels and Redfox's disappeared."

"What if she just transferred schools and no one knew?"

"Did I mention she was also dating Zeref Dragneel, Natsu and Lisanna's brother?"

Lucy's eyes widen at this bit of news, before she glances to the side lost in her thoughts. Maybe the new fact wasn't that big of a deal – it could easily just be a coicindence, but...why hadn't Lisanna or Natsu ever say anything about it before? The gears in her head begin to turn as she thinks back to the hot and cold way Natsu treated her. Was this all related?

"Levy..." Lucy's voice is soft. "Were they close?"

"Mavis? She was very kind and fitted Zeref perfectly – at least I thought so. She really brought him out of his shell." Levy's eyes soften sadly then, before sighing small and shaking her head. "If I had to put a label on it, I'd say there was something special between the two of them."

The name Mavis sparks something in Lucy and her mouth falls open when she remembers where she'd seen it.

"I've seen her poster!" the blonde gasps. "She disappeared a year ago!"

"Mmhm," Levy nods. "She and Zeref...they disappeared at the same time." Her voice then lowers to a near whisper when a few other students get too close to them. "There was another guy – Jason, he'd gotten into a fight with one of the Redfox twins and not long after, he went missing too..."

Lucy's brows furrow in helpless confusion and Levy gives her a sorry look.

""I'm sure they're nice enough – and I feel sorry for them, but you don't want to get involved with the Dragneel's, Lucy – or the Redfox's. The people that do...bad things tend to happen to them."

It's Lucy's turn to bite the inside of her lip as her heart tries to process this new information. The creepy chill she'd had a few weeks ago threatens to climb up her spine again and Lucy furiously pushes it down. What was wrong with her? Was she really giving into the stupid rumors, she had promised Lisanna she wouldn't care about? Yes – she found it weird and felt a bit hurt that Lisanna or Natsu hadn't come clean about their lost brother, but...they must have a good reason for it.

If Natsu and Lisanna were somehow planning anything bad for her, why would Natsu save her at the library – why had Lisanna seemed so freaked and worried for her when she saw her at the hospital?

Why would they warn her about the bad things in the town when it seemed to endanger them just by her possibly finding out their secret?

Bad people don't have that broken look in their eyes – the same looks she'd seen in Lisanna and Natsu's eyes when they let it show.

"...thanks," Lucy said, her eyes less fogged now. "But you're wrong about them." She turns back to look at Levy. "Levy, I can't explain it, but I know there's more to it than you realize. Whatever's going on with them...Natsu and Lisanna, they're good people."

Levy slowly smiles small-y at her. Lucy can tell that the girl really does feel bad about this. The ways of a small town were hard to get over.

"I can understand why you're choosing to defend them, Lucy," Levy says, her voice going back to normal and calm. "Just...just be careful. I know I was teasing you about Natsu and all, but...he's better as someone to gwark over from a distance. A phase." Lucy frowns softly at the words, but doesn't answer them. Levy's large eyes fall away then as she sighs. "Well, it seems like Lisanna wants you to sit with her, but you can always sit with us if you want to later."

Levy makes to walk away and Lucy quickly calls out to her, a small smile on her face. "Levy...thanks for the offer. You're a good person."

Levy blinks, before smiling back. "I just wanted you to know for sure of what's going on, being a new kid...it's a little hard when you're not clued up on everything."

Lucy tilts her head, taking a dramatic beep of silence, before shrugging. "Well, since you really want to be my friend, how about we have lunch tomorrow?"

The blue-head brights up at the off and nods with a wider grin, less stressed over their conversation now, before turning to go to her table.

Lucy watches her leave to meet her friends, easily spotting out Erza's red hair and some guy she then recognizes to be Jellal, the waiter, sitting next to her.

When Levy sits down, Lucy turns away to stare into the sea of students for Lisanna. It takes a while, but she eventually spots the pixie-like girl sitting at one of the tables, talking to a boy with platnum, blond hair. She can't tell much about his looks from this angle, but Lisanna seems completely at ease with him – something she hasn't seen of the girl when it came to other people besides herself and Natsu. It makes her smile. Lucy wonders if this boy's one of those family friends that stayed over at her friend's house a while back.

Upon moving closer, Lisanna seems almost animated as she tells the boy something. Lucy can see the blonde better now. He's quite the looker – with his chiseled cheekbones and fashionably-styled hair. His clothes are just as stylish, like he's prepared to walk the runway. Lucy's only a few meters away, when another person approaches the table.

It's another male, this one with shoulder-length, straight, black hair. His face was expressionless, a huge contrast to the blond, chuckling boy, but Lucy found he was also good looking. What was with Lisanna and getting to have all these hot guys around her? Matter of fact – what was up with this town?

The blonde girl doesn't stop in her steps though and the closer she gets to the table, she notices that it's not just Lisanna and the two boys sitting there.

Another, strikingly pretty and yet mysterious girl sits at the edge of the table. Lucy had thought that Lisanna was pale – but this girl takes the cake! Her paper-pale face was blank and framed by glorious, light blue strands of hair, while her midnight-blue eyes are fixed on the plate in front of her. Lucy already feels blander than her and she isn't even that close! Sitting beside the girl, with his legs parched up on another, nearby table, is that –  _ugh_  – Gajeel guy. He's actually combed his long hair into a low pony today, so Lucy gives him some props.

And sitting next to him – is Natsu.

Lucy watches as Gajeel grunts out something she can't make out, but he seems to find it hilarious and he laughs afterwards. The girl sitting next to him doesn't even bother to react to his obnoxious laughter. Natsu does, but he just rolls his eyes at whatever the joke was and then takes a large bite of the pizza, seemingly having no problem with the flavor.

Lucy's first conversation with Erza and Levy rings in her ears at the sight of the pink-haired boy and she feels her cheeks warming against her will. 'He's just your sort-of-friend, Lucy. Get a grip.'

"Lucy!" Lisanna's voice breaks through her inner thoughts and Lucy quickly smiles away the blush.

"Lisanna, hey," she greets as she fully approaches the table. "I saw you walking into the cafeteria and-"

"I wanted you to come sit with me and everyone else, yeah!"

"Lucy smiles wider in relief, but as she looks around the table, she notices that Lisanna's the only one that seems excited – except maybe for Gajeel, who's smirking proudly at her. Lucy makes sure to avoid his stare.

As for everyone else? The two boys, she didn't know yet, were eyeing her with equal indifference. The mysterious beauty on the other hand – she looks like she'd rather Lucy take a long walk off a short cliff and Lucy blinks away from the unwelcome look in an instant. 'That was weird.'

Meanwhile, Natsu looks like he's just bored of everything.

Lucy wants to greet him too and opens her mouth to do just that, but is beat by the small sigh from the mystery girl.

"Lisanna, Juv – I don't think her sitting here is a good idea." the new girl's voice is mono-toned, but there's also a liquid-y, calming factor to it. It doesn't sound like the type of condescending voice and Lucy blinks at her with confusion.

"But I just wanted to make sure she wasn't alone on her first day." Lisanna's voice has a silent pleading tone to it and Lucy's eyes go from the new girl to Lisanna, before taking a deep breath.

"Okay," the blonde says, drawing everyone's attention back on her. "If I'm not wanted, it's fine. I don't want to cause any trouble with your group-"

"But I want you to stay!" Lisanna urges, leaning back to get up, but Lucy shakes her head to stop her. Lucy's about to say something like "It's okay" or "Don't worry about it" when the mystery girl speaks up again.

"You should go, sorry but our table is full." Her emotionless-hollow eyes stare straight and calmly up at Lucy, who frowns in confusion.

Great. Yer another stranger that seems to have something against her. The number of them seems to be growing in number lately.

Gajeel's snicker makes Lucy jump just sightly and she tears her eyes away from the blue-haired girl to look at the still smirking man. Gajeel's amused expression is now directed at the blue-head.

"Aw come on, Juvia," he huffs gruffly. "Ain't no harm if Barbie here wants to sit with us." That smirk of his is only met with a small glare from the girl Lucy notes down as Juvia. Gajeel laughs again at the look, before turning back to look at Lucy. "How ya doing, Blondie? It's been a while."

The familiar annoyance at the nickname hit Lucy, but considering that he's the only one (besides Lisanna) that is actually being nice to her right now, Lucy chooses to let it go and smiles back, just a bit tightly.

"Gajeel, right? Hi."

His annoying smirk grows wider then. "Good to see ya remember my name. Knew ya would though." The sound of a fork clattering on the table stops Lucy from replying.

"This is wrong," Juvia whispers almost angrily. "She shouldn't sit with us."

The angry tone surprises Lucy and without meaning to, her eyes fly to Natsu. He wasn't looking at her, but she could see how his jaw had tightened. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Juvia – stop, please." Came the soft and pleading voice of Lisanna. Lucy barely registers the sound with the loud chatter continuing in the cafeteria. "Lucy's okay. She doesn't mean any harm-"

Juvia's head almost snaps to give Lisanna a stern look. "You know that's not the problem," she says quietly, before blinking slowly to Lucy, who tenses slightly at the look. "I'm sure she can find someone else to sit with...she's got that easy look about her."

The last comment has the blonde's brow dip and her mouth faults for a second, before saying, "Excuse me?"

Gajeel lets out a low whistle, but it's obvious that he's enjoying the scene playing before him.

Juvia ignores the sound and keeps her eyes on Lucy – yet there comes no apology, just an expectant look. When Lucy frowns at her in her confusion and irritation, the blue-haired girl sighs before adding, "You don't know us – and if you did, you wouldn't want to be hanging around us anyway."

"That's enough, Juvia. Lay off," Natsu finally says, his tone low and warning. Lucy's eyes instantly go to the pink-head, but is disappointed when he still refuses to meet her eyes.

"Natsu, she-"

"I said lay off," Natsu says again and Juvia frowns.

"No, listen, Juvia's right. You're not wanted here." These words come from the emo-looking boy Lucy hadn't been introduced to yet and all eyes go to him when he speaks up, words directed to Lucy – Lisanna with a broken expression.

"Rogue..." Lisanna voices.

Unlike Juvia, however, the raven does seem to feel bad about his words and Lucy can clearly see how his shoulders tense slightly at the sad tone of Lisanna's voice.

"Wow, not cool man." This comment is said by the only blonde boy at the table – the one Lisanna had been talking to so animatedly to and his reply has Rogue grunt out defensively.

"What am I supposed to do? With everything that's happening-" Natsu sort of growls lowly, hushing any more words that could spill from Rogue's lips and Lucy's frown deepens at the unspoken conversation he and the pale raven have, before Rogue sighs. "...Juvia's the only voice of reason lately," he looks at Lucy after he says this, his dark eyes sorry, but decided. "You should just find somewhere else to sit."

Lucy's heart pounds loudly in her chest as she looks at everyone around the table. Half of them don't want her here and the other half where  _maybe_  okay? She looks back at Natsu again for some kind of help. She isn't sure if she should even bother with him, but there is still hope when she does.

He still won't look at her.

Why can't he look at her? He had been easy-going with her this morning.

Were they really not friends after all?

"Natsu..." Lucy says almost too softly, but he obviously hears it with how his frown deepens and his body slowly loosens, before turning to meet her eyes.

His are distant again.

"You should go sit with Levy, Lucy. I saw you walking with her, it'll be more fun for you. She's a nice girl." Natsu's words are flat and Lucy feels anger begin to swell in her at his words. It was like he was looking at her without actually seeing her.

"Natsu!" Lisanna glares at her brother, sounding more disappointed than sad now and Natsu turns his head away – back to looking voidly into the sea of other students. Lucy's fists tighten.

Everyone else at the table has gone quiet. Even Gajeel's cheeky expression has dimmed down now to a calmer, serious one. The other two guys just look plain uncomfortable, while Lisanna reaches out to grasp Natsu's sleeve. He doesn't budge.

It's only Juvia who keeps her stare on Lucy – her eyes aren't mean or belittling. No, they just look hollow.

Across the table, Lucy catches the worried looks of Erza and Levy, both standing and look like they are ready to come rescue her. Lucy only then realizes how silent the cafeteria has gotten and turns to see some of the nearer tables watching them curiously. The attention has Lucy's grip on her lunch tray tighten, before easing again. Her body feels lighter now, almost numb when she turns back to look at Natsu. Her voice is soft as she talks.

"Whatever it is you're doing, whatever reason it is you're holding back..." she sees him look at her in the corner of her eyes and she lets out a small breath. "I care about you guys. I care about you. So whatever it is you're doing,  _please_ , just be honest about it or just  _stop_ …I can't keep playing this game with you."

Her last words have Natsu's eyes slowly widening as she turns to fully look at her again, something similar to regret in his eyes. "Kitten-"

Lucy breaks the eye contact, but catches the tightening of his jaw as she does. She doesn't care right now. She gives a small, apologetic look to Lisanna whose eyes are wide and sorry.

"I'll just see you later, Lisanna," the blonde says softly, keeping her words calm. "I don't want to cause any trouble with your friends." AT her words, Lisanna tries to reach out to her, but Lucy has already turned away from the table is now walking away. She keeps her eyes down and away from the stars of the other students, but it doesn't block out the hushed whispers around her. She doesn't go to Levy and Erza's table either, only stopping to set down her tray – she doesn't care anymore. Not right now.

She suddenly felt clostraphobic. She needed air.

Lucy's out of the cafeteria before she even notices the change of scenery and is already walking down the long hallway when she hears hurried footsteps behind her and then the sound of Lisanna calling out to her.

Lucy's chest tightens at the pleading tone in her friend's voice. A part of her wants to keep walking though, still needing to be alone for a while...but it's not fair to Lisanna. She had tried to stick up for her, it wasn't her fault Lucy's life was suddenly getting so complicated.

The blonde girl slows to a stop before turning around to see a look of pure relief on the other girl's face as she jogs the rest of the distance.

"You stopped," Lisanna says, her voice a bit breathless and laced with shock, but gratefulness. "I can't believe you stopped for me."

Lucy almost sighs at the words, still not understanding how Lisanna can still have such little faith in their friendship. Even with what just took place.

"I'm so sorry about them Lucy. They didn't mean anything but it-"

Lucy shakes her head to cut the silver-head off, forcing a reassuring smile on her face and ignoring how tired she suddenly felt. "Listen, Lisanna. I'm okay. I just need some time alone..." her words fail then, not sure what else to say, but Lisanna takes that as her cue.

"No, I'm sorry. They're just protective of our – I mean….ugh," Lisanna bites her lip then and Lucy's shoulders sag at the frustrated, desperate look on her friend's face. "I wish things were easier...I should've-"

Lucy is quick to reach out and take the slightly shaking girl's hand, who quiets down and blinks up in worry at the blonde.

"I'm not angry, L," Lucy says. "...I'm just tired of playing guessing games and all this cryptic information that keeps getting thrown at me. And Natsu..." she sighs.

"I...I understand Lucy."

There's something in Lisanna's voice that makes Lucy frown. "Look, I promise I'm not mad. Nothing's changed – our friendship is fine. I just want to be alone for awhile." She speaks slowly and is relieved when Lisanna's eyes light up a bit at the word  _friendship._  Lucy smiles in disbelief. She can't belief how something like before could shake someone's faith so easily.

"Okay..." Lisanna nods, worrying her lip again. "Lucy?"

Lucy tilts her head slightly in answer, but Lisanna seems to shrink again.

"Nothing...it's just...thanks for not scaring away so easily."

Lucy feels herself cool a bit at the small voice and she moves to envelope the lithe girl in a hug. Lisanna tenses at first, but hugs back in the next heartbeat, maybe even a bit harder than Lucy.

When Lucy pulls back, she smiles at the girl warmly, before walking down the hallway again.

* * *

By the time Lucy gets outside, she's more or less relaxed. Yes, she's still a little peeved at the way things had gone back in the cafeteria – even more so with the admittedly predictable way Natsu had treated her, but mostly she just felt tired now. Why did things have to be so complicated? With Natsu, with her hanging out with Lisanna, pretty much everything to do with her neighbors. How was it that everywhere she turned, she was searching between secrets? Secrets with no intention of ever being revealed.

The hurt and desperate look in Lisanna's eyes flashes in her head and then it changes to the sorry eyes of Natsu – Lucy sighs, loudly. What a great day this is turning out to be.

"You sound like you've been through the ages."

Lucy jolts before breathing again and turning to see Gray Fullbuster sitting against the school's wall, his legs outstretched, one propped up and being used as a resting source for one arm. He seemed to have just woken up, with his ruffled hair and wrinkled shirt. Lucy remembers how Levy had said that Gray would sometimes take naps on the field during lunch times. Seems he had opted for a different sleeping spot today.

"Gray..." Lucy says as she takes in the look of him. "Sorry, I didn't wake you, did I?"

He blinks lazily up at her, before shaking his head. "Nah, I woke up when some moron freshmen came over here with a cheerleader, hoping to make out. Safe to say, I made sure he didn't get lucky."

Lucy gapes at the words for a small moment, before huffing amusingly at him. Gray, in return, gives her a half smile and Lucy slowly draws closer until she's standing right next to him.

"Mind some company? I don't know if I can go back in there."

Gray jerks his head in indication to join him, before asking, "What happened? You trip or couldn't find anybody to sit with at lunch?"

Lucy rolls her eyes at his guesses as she sits down besides him, pulling her legs to lay a bit behind her. "No – but those choices might have been easier to deal with..." Gray hums. Lucy decides to change the subject. "I actually met some of your friends, Levy and Erza?"

Gray huffs at that, before pulling his legs up and then leading his body forward, both arms now resting easily over his knees. "Well if you ask them, Levy is a friend. Erza on the other hand is a self-proclaimed big sister." Lucy giggles at his expression. "You meet Jellal too?"

"Not at school, but he did serve me at the diner. So that's something."

The raven nods and a comfortable silence follows them afterwards. Lucy allows herself to take in the scenery around them. The campus garden's aren't anything spectacular, nothing like her aunt's, but Aquarius was just gifted in that area. Still, the warm breeze is calming and Lucy feels it relax her further.

"...So you gonna tell me what happened?"

Gray's voice is a bit scratchy with his earlier nap and he isn't looking at her when he asks, but Lucy can tell he's paying attention. She sighs for time and then tilts her head up to stare at the clear sky...weren't those sorts of things supposed to mean good days?

"I guess total silence is cool too."

"...It's nothing, just...well," Lucy frowns at the sky. Her mind picturing how Natsu would always do the same. She looks away and blinks away the image. How was she still thinking about him, even when she was angry with him? "I don't even know how to describe it. It's just complicated," Lucy says after a second, her mind on more things than just Gray's earlier question.

"Maybe you're just making it that way," Gray grunts, shifting a bit against the wall to find a more comfortable position for his back. "Girl's seem to do that a lot."

Lucy laughs at that, turning to give him a cheeky smile. "Oh and I bet you know everything there is to know about girls." Gray doesn't answer and she can almost feel him internally rolling his eyes. Another beat of silence and Lucy gives in. "Fine...it...you know the Dragneels?" An obvious question, but she asked it anyway.

He takes a while, before saying, "Yeah."

"They're my neighbors and I'm friends with the one – Lisanna. Natsu on the other hand...well, he part of the complication. I mean I guess they both are, but he just makes it so much more-" her last words are replaced with a heavy sigh, maybe a tad more dramatic than it needed to be –  _but dammit_  – she was annoyed and really needed to rant a little.

"Is...this going to be girl talk-ish?" Gray says as he eyes her unsure. "Cause I can call Levy or Erza for you?" He receives a slap on the shoulder from the blonde for his remark and Gray grunts in response, but there was no bite to it.

"A lot of help you are, Fullbuster."

"Hey, I don't do girl talk," he grimaced as if the word itself was untouchable. "It's not my field of experties.

"Some girl's like sensitive guys, you know?"

"Woah, good thing I'm not looking for a girl then."

Lucy rolls her eyes again, but smiles anyway. "I guess there isn't much to talk about anyway. Like I said, it's complicated."

"...when it comes to that group, everything's like that." Lucy doesn't bother replying, but nods in understanding. She should learn by now. "Listen, don't beat yourself up over whatever happened, okay?" Gray says after a quiet minute. "Natsu may be a flaming airhead, but he's not as bad of a guy as what everyone says he is."

His calm words has the blonde girl blink in surprise, not expecting something like that – especially not about Natsu.

"You and him...were you friends?" She doesn't know why she asks, but curiosity seems to be her trait now. Gray doesn't seem take offense by it either, so she doesn't make to take it back.

"Sort of, but it was a long time ago."

"Why did you stop? Being sort-of-friends, I mean?"

Gray shrugs shortly. "We just did...Him and Lisanna just had different lives back then – at least from what I could see. They went through a rough patch." Gray frowns then at whatever pops into his head. "And the rumors of the frick'n town's people don't make it any easier on em."

"...So, you don't believe them? The rumors?"

"I don't know what to believe," Gray sighs and then shrugs. "But unlike the other losers in this town, I don't spend every second of my day whispering about it. I got other stuff to do."

Lucy smiles at him, before turning back to the field ahead of her. "Like taking naps in the school's gardens?"

"Now you're getting it."

Lucy laughs and it comes out easy and she's suddenly very grateful to the raven. He may just be the first person in town not telling her to keep away from the Dragneel family. It was nice to talk with someone who didn't care about all the silly rumors.

"Thanks," Lucy finds herself saying a few seconds later.

"For what?" She shrugs.

"For talking some sense, even if just a little. This small town syndrome is still new to me."

"There are few of us that try to fight the system."

Lucy smiles at him. "I mean it. Thanks. You a pretty cool guy."

Gray gives her another half smile and Lucy turns to look back up at the sky. She hears Gray shift again and decides not to speak again, thinking he might be trying to get back to his nap. The calming silence quickly overtakes them once more.

It doesn't last very long and soon they hear footsteps approaching and muffled voices, steadily getting clearer.

"-ia, wait up-"

Lucy tenses when she recognizes the male voice.

"-Just need to think – I –"

" _Juvia_ -"

The atmosphere around them changes drastically, more uneasy, when Lucy hears the name called and immediately sits up straighter and soon she's looking up at the blue-haired girl from Lisanna's table.

But Juvia's eyes aren't focused on her.

"Juvia."

Lucy blinks, before looking back at Gray, who'd just voiced out the girl's name. His body is tensed now and his eyes have slightly widened in shock and – something else she can't figure out. Gray is also looking past her, his eyes glued to the blue-haired, frozen girl and Lucy looks back to her with a worried frown.

"Juvia..." Gray voices again, more clearer now, but the shock is still evident in his tone.

Something too fast to understand wavers in Juvia's eyes and Lucy catches the thick swallow she does afterwards. Shifting to get up, Lucy stops when Juvia's eyes almost tear away from Gray to glance at her, her pale face hardening quickly – back to how it was in the cafeteria. Before Lucy can even think of something to say, the other girl turns away and leaves with hurried steps, without glancing their way again.

"Juvia wait!"

Lucy's already on her feet when she calls out, but is stopped from going after the other girl when the blond boy from Lisanna's table steps in front of her, blocking her way. He isn't glaring at her, but the look she gets from him stops her from trying to go after Juvia again.

She takes a step back from him and then the blond boy is running to follow after Juvia. Lucy's confused eyes watch them disappear into the parking lot until she can't see them anymore. Slowly, she turns to look back down at Gray.

He isn't looking at her, instead his clouded eyes are now fixed on the ground. He's still so tense and his jaw is tightly fixed.

Had she missed something?

Lucy walks over to the raven again, her brows furrowing. "Gray?"

His eyes focus more and she watches him sigh. Some tension leaves his shoulders as he does, but there is still something off in the air. Lucy's mind floods with questions before looking back in the general direction of where the two others had run off in. Juvia had looked wrecked for just a moment...she had been looking at Gray.

"Gray….you and Juvia...do you?"

He sighs again, a tired sound and she barely hears him when he mutters the familiar words under his breath.

"It's complicated."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu and Lucy go on a walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone (^-^) 
> 
> Here's the 11th chapter (and the longest chapter so far!)
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter - I'm almost ready with the next one. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy!.

 

* * *

By the time the school day ends, Lucy feels more uneasy than ever.

Gray hadn't wanted to talk about Juvia at all when Lucy asked him about the exchange. He'd just changed the subject – and, not wanting to push him, Lucy dropped it, but it didn't mean it left her thoughts.

By the time the bell rang, Gray had reverted back to what Lucy guessed was his usual self, but she still couldn't shake that he was a little on edge. She didn't didn't see Juvia again for the rest of the day either.

Not only that, but apparently a lot of people had taken an interest in her trying to sit with the Dragneel's and Redfox's. During the rest of the day, some students had been giving her weird looks too. If she had been as ignorant as she was yesterday, she would have thought they were just laughing at her for being rejected, but after finding out what the rest of the school believed about them – she knew better.

She could only imagine what they were thinking and saying about her behind her back. She'd heard some of the whispers. She was the girl who tried to sit with the dangerous group. She'd even gotten a nickname –  _yip_. Now she was known as the  _'Outcast-wannabe'_.

At least the day was over and she was back in her room, away from all the drama.

Of cause that also meant a lot more free time to think about said drama...

Sighing, Lucy leans back into her desk chair and stares blankly at her laptop screen. First day and she was already piled up with homework. The beginning of her English essay was printed boldly on the screen. So far she had just typed out the title…

Shaking her head to snap out of her haze, Lucy's fingers move to graze over the keyboard. Still, no inspiration at all. With an annoyed groan, the blonde leaned back in her seat again, head tilted up and she blinked up at the ceiling.

Who was she kidding? How was she supposed to concentrate on homework when her life was so complicated?

 **First:**  her best friend was hated by the town – for  _stupid_  reasons.

 **Second:** Said best friend and best friend's brother were definitely hiding some dark secret.

 **Third:** The school now saw her as a 'freak' chaser.

 **Fourth:**  Laxus Dreya's part in everything – she still didn't get that one.

 **Fifth:**  Her best friend had another brother she never told her about (could that be related to the second problem?)

 **Sixth:**  SO MANY PEOPLE HATE HER (Okay, maybe only like two…four? She couldn't get a good read on that Rogue and blond guy.)

 **And s** **eventh:**  Natsu…

Yeah...complicated didn't begin to describe it.

It didn't have to be, she realized that. If she stopped being friends with Lisanna she'd probably get the normal high school experience – could even go into town without experience unpleasant stares or warnings. Yet she didn't want to stop being Lisanna's friend. She just wished everyone else could keep out of their business! It had nothing to do with anybody else who she wanted to hang out with.

As for Natsu…

A frown deepened on her lips at the memory of the last time she had seen the pink-head man. Natsu was the other problem.

Why did he have to make everything so complicated and confusing? One minute he was being super sweet and the next he didn't want anything to do with her!

" _Kitten..."_

The sound of his regretful voice sounds in her head and she sighs again. She understood some of it, why he kept her at a distance, to a degree. Whatever was going on with him and Lisanna was far more complicated than what the rest of the town thought. She didn't know what it was, but she was sure there was something…

Almost unwillingly looking back a the screen, Lucy tries to focus on the work again. It may be a boring topic, but it was a much needed distraction. Barely a sentence in, however, she hears a knock on front door downstairs. Lucy sighs again before reaching out and closing the laptop. Maybe it was a sign? She'd just have to finish it tomorrow. Good thing it was only due Wednesday.

Pushing back her chair, Lucy stands up and walks downstairs to open the door.

She isn't all that surprised to see Lisanna standing on the other side of the door. Who else would come to visit her at this time?

Guilt slowly swells in the blonde's belly when she lays eyes on her neighbor/friend. Even after their little chat outside the cafeteria, Lucy had been a little selfish when she asked to be alone, especially with how obviously worried Lisanna had been then. If she knew the girl at all by now, she wouldn't be surprised if she had worked herself into another worry fit over the whole thing. She didn't like it, but had learned to accept it about her friend. It's what happens when basically the whole town hates your guts.

She hadn't seen the sliver-haired girl after that either, but not because she had been avoiding her – never.

She was avoiding Natsu.

Which, in a way, she supposed was the same thing as avoiding Lisanna…

"Hi," Lisanna says, a shy, unsure smile playing on her lips.

"Hi," Lucy smiles back and steps out of the house, moving to stand next to the girl. She made sure to stand close enough to give the other girl some sort of reassurance and was glad she did when she saw Lisanna's shoulders ease a bit afterwards. It's a comfortable silence that overtakes them as both girls stare out at the garden, but Lucy knows that Lisanna must have something she wants to get off her chest.

"So..." Lucy hums. "You okay? You look a little worried."

Lisanna's eyes widen slightly at the question, probably not realizing how obvious her emotions had showed, but after a beat, she lets out a nervous, but relieved laugh.

"You're asking me how I am? I should be asking you that."

The surprise is evident in her voice and Lucy blushes at the almost pointed look she gets from her, and realizes that the girl has a point.

"I feel a bit better," the blonde shrugs. "Better than this before anyway. I had the rest of the morning to cool off." She says the last sentence with a grin, hoping to make a joke, but it seems to have the opposite affect on Lisanna, who gets that worried look again."

"You sure? Cause I can leave you alone, if you still need some time," she says softly. "I would completely understand."

Lucy huffs almost amusingly and only a bit exasperatedly, before rolling her eyes playfully at the girl. "Nah, you're alright," she says with a smile and shrugs. "Besides your already here. Might as well burden myself on you."

Lisanna blinks wide-eyed, before relaxing into a grateful smile. "You're not a burden, Lucy."

"Glad you feel that way, though I can't promise you that in time, you'll still think that way."

Lisanna doesn't laugh at Lucy's weak attempt at a joke and the blonde's brows furrow at the still slightly troubled girl.

"L, are you sure you're okay? If it's about what happened this morning, I swear, I'm okay." Lucy says and watches as the silver-haired girl bites her bottom lip.

Lisanna looks down when she says; "I know….it's just...if you're not busy, can we talk?"

Lucy deflates a bit at the vague answer, but nods all the same. "Yeah, I think we could both use a talk."

As the two girls settle down on the porch, Lucy's mind suddenly flashes to that late summer afternoon. The time she had woken up in Natsu's arms. It felt like eons ago since then – after the bear attack…

The blonde quickly shakes that memory away. Not now. Why was she even thinking about him now?

"I want to start by properly apologizing."

Lucy pops out of her thoughts at the voice and looks at her friend, before frowning and shaking her head. "L, stop apologizing for everything.  _You_  did nothing and you shouldn't have to apologize for your friend's actions."

'Or for Natsu...' Lucy adds begrudgingly in her head, before sighing and focusing back on her friend.

"I don't blame you, L."

'Please get that through your head. It's not you I'm upset with.'

Lisanna's eyes don't even waver at the words and Lucy watches in disappointment and frustration when the lithe girl turns away from her, eyes now directed towards her own house. The pretty strands of pearl-y hair fall over Lisanna's face as she turns, blocking most of Lucy's view of her face.

She doesn't know what to say…

"They should apologize to you too," Lisanna breaths out after a couple seconds. "But...they have their reasons, and I'm not defending them – maybe I am...I," she sighs again and Lucy eyes turn down too. "I don't know how to explain it."

Lucy occupies her hands by fiddling with the material of her jersey, trying to think of something to say. She wanted to ask so much that it actually burned at her throat, but she bites her tongue. It's not her place to force out such private information.

Lucy's eyes blink back to her friend when the girl scotches higher on the porch. "I just that they could see you the way I see you. Just a really nice person."

Lucy smiles sympathetically at the unhappy tone of the girl, before looking back at her hands.

"Well..." the blonde hums and she sees Lisanna look at her in the corner of her eye. "Maybe it's not much of an achievement, but...I  _think_  Gajeel sort of likes me." Her casual words have a surprised squeak of a giggle escape Lisanna and Lucy meets her eyes with a satisfied grin. The one she gets back from Lisanna is filled with laughter.

"Yeah, that sure is something."

Both girls giggle this time at the tiny dig at the pierced man and an easier silence washes over them afterwards.

"I have to be honest though, Gajeel and that Juvia girl, they don't really seem like the type of people you'd hang out with," Lucy says then, remembering her first impressions of both people. "I don't know the other two guys enough, well actually I don't really know any of them, but what I saw of them..."

Lisanna shrugs, a small smile on her lips and a her eyes softening. "The Redfox's are friends to a point where Natsu and I consider them almost family."

Lucy blinks as she processes the words, before gaping. "Wait, all those guys are siblings?"

Lisanna hesitates for a second at the question, but is quick to nod when she meets Lucy's shocked eyes – maybe a bit too quickly.

"Yes," the silver-head says. "Gajeel, Juvia, Rogue – the black-haired boy and Sting – the blond boy? They're all part of the Redfox family."

"...they don't even look the same though."

"Uhm, yeah, but neither do me and Natsu," Lisanna shrugs again, before humming. "Although, I Rogue has similarities to Gajeel." Lucy can't argue there.

"Point taken, but still, are they adopted?"

The last word has Lisanna grimace, but it only lasts for a split second before she's slowly nodding again.

Her confirmation suddenly makes Lucy want to ask if it's the same with her and Natsu, but doesn't dare act on it. Besides the looks, they were so close. They had to be related, right? She'd never even thought otherwise before, so instead, Lucy just says; "That's nice though – that they were all brought together. As an only child, I know what it's like and trust me, I would have killed for a sibling."

Lisanna smiles at the words. "Yeah, like me and Natsu they all fight a lot, but they're all pretty close. We all are," she says after a second of thought. "But because of that closeness, our world is kind of...small."

Because they don't let anyone else it…that's what she wanted to add, Lucy was sure.

It was just her that had broken this unspoken rule…

"Lisanna….why did you and Natsu start keeping everyone out? There must have been some people that didn't believe the rumors?"

Lisanna's smile softens – but not into a happier tilt, more like one of acceptance. "You know how small town don't like when things change?" Lucy nods. "Well, small minds don't like change either. People who hate change don't hate it because they're evil, they hate it because they're scared."

"I don't understand."

Lisanna sighs, a small sound. "I know, like I said; it's hard to explain. But it works like that for the town's people as well as..."

"...You friends?" Lucy offers softly and the girl nods. "So wait….if your friends are scared of change..." the blonde frowns at the strange realization. "Is it because of me? Am I some kind of threat to them – that's why they hate me?"

Lisanna's shoulder tighten up at the words and she reaches out to place a hand on one of Lucy's shoulders, her voice insistent and soft. "No – you're not a threat, not really...you just present a threat, ugh, I mean-" It was obvious how frustrated Lisanna was getting with herself over the explanation and Lucy couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Some of them, like Gajeel are okay with...uh change, like he's not as strict to the rules-"

"Rules?" Lucy's brows furrow. Lisanna looks like she wants to stuff her hand in her own mouth.

"Nothing," she shakes her head. "What I mean is, some of them, like Juvia, don't like the change – not you particularly. She just thinks you're changing Natsu." The tone in her voice silently begs Lucy to understand her words, but Lucy only grows more confused.

"Who?"

Lisanna slumps. "Natsu."

The single name lingers in the air for a moment as she looks at Lisanna. "...I don't get it. You saw how Natsu brushed me off today. Why would she be worried about me doing anything with him?"

Crystal, blue eyes blink once, slowly, before looking back at the house across the yard.

Lucy keeps her eyes on the thoughtful girl.

"...I have theories as to why Natsu does that," Lisanna says, lips curling into an unhappy frown. "But I can't explain it like how I want to….I think it's something you need to ask him yourself."

Lucy frowns too. The last thing she wanted to do was attempt a conversation with Natsu. Not when the wounds were still fresh. She was just tired of playing the hot-and-cold game.

"As for Juvia," Lisanna sighs and Lucy blinks in attention. "She's gone through some stuff too. Things I have no place in talking about," a pitiful look clouds her eyes as she says that, before clearing her throat. "but after it happened, it made her more couscous. She and Natsu have that in common actually...but lately his wall seems to be crumbling bit by bit." Those confused, but hopeful blue eyes turn to Lucy then. "Even if he tries to hide it, I can still tell...it's nice to see him acting less crabby all the time too. More like his old self."

Lucy doesn't want to admit the small head radiating off her cheeks at the directed look she gets from her friend/neighbor, but judging by the glint that forms in said girl's eyes, the redness was more than obvious.

It annoys her – her own feelings that fill her chest. It wasn't fair how confused she was all the time.

So Lucy doesn't say anything – and at the same time, she forces down any flooding thoughts of her male neighbor.

Lisanna seems to graciously understand and drops the subject. In the end, they both sit it silence. Just simply sitting and enjoying the last glimpses of the sun.

It's so quiet that Lucy starts at the small, uneasy sound that comes from Lisanna's throat.

"This is going to be super awkward, Lucy, but...can I tell you something?"

Lucy blinks at the unsure tone and shifts in her spot on the porch to full direct herself to the other girl. "What is it?"

She can't miss the way Lisanna swallows nervously and Lucy's brows curl in worry for a second, before she sees the tiny flush that hovers over the pale girl's cheeks.

"Lisanna?"

"Okay," Lisanna breaths – more to herself than to Lucy, before giving a shy smile. "I just really appreciate having you in my life. Ever since..." that smile tightens and she shakes her head, before continuing. "It's just that, ever since then, I've been really bad at making friends and the few that I got close enough too, Natsu would just scare away."

Lucy smiles sadly at the girl and shakes her head. "L, you don't have to thank me for being your friend."

"I know, I'm not – I mean I am, I..." she sinks into herself as a self-annoyed look flashes over her eyes. "You're the one who's lasted the longest and I know we've only known each other a short time, but..."

Knees pulled to her chest now, Lisanna seems to curl into herself as she sighs. "But I feel like your my best friend or something and I know it's weird to say something like that…." the blotches of red darken against the pale skin of the lithe girl and something sad lingers in her eyes – like acceptance. "I know you're probably going to make a tone of friends at school, so you don't have to return the feelings. I saw you with Levy in the cafeteria and it makes sense – I figured you'd like her. She's really nice and cool, I just...I want you to know that I really, really appreciate you."

Lucy's eyes had softened the second the girl mentioned the word best friend. Now her mouth had fallen slightly agape and it took all she had not to crush the insecure girl into a hug. She was so touched that Lisanna felt that way about her, considering all the drama she was apparently causing her and her friends.

Affection for the silver-haired girl bloomed greater in the blonde's chest and so did sadness for the sheer amount of low self-esteem she saw in those blue eyes. She'd thought it once and she'd think it again: it wasn't right for a girl as kind and pretty as Lisanna to have such a poor self-image. She blamed it solely on the town.

Apparently her short-lived silence had given Lisanna the wrong idea and the silver-head looked pretty much devastated and almost disgusted with herself now.

"I-I'm sorry – I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just really wanted to tell you-"

You know what? Screw the holding back thing.

"Oh Lisanna," Lucy laughs and reaches over and pulls the babbling girl into a tight hug. Lisanna squeaks at the second, unprepared hug today, but Lucy just laughs more. "You don't have to be so shy about it, because you're my best friend too!"

She really was, Lucy realized as soon as the words left her lips. Even back in Florida, she had never really been able to get that close to the small group of friends she had – at least not close enough to call one of them her best friend.

With Lisanna, she had gotten that chance – Lisanna wasn't the only one getting new experiences.

Slowly, she feels Lisanna relax and uncurls herself from her ball, before letting out a watery laugh. She returns the hug then – an almost bruising feeling, but Lucy squeezes along with it.

"Ugh, I feel like a total dork for saying all of that," Lisanna laughs out her relief. "I mean, I'm seventeen! Not seven!"

Lucy shakes her head as best she can in the tight embrace. "You were feeling insecure and everyone has the right to be a little childish when they're feeling that way." She pulls back to wink at the silver-haired. "Trust me, I know _all_ about that."

A single, crystal tear escapes and rolls down Lisanna's cheek, and I makes Lucy's heart clench. Luckily, Lisanna does seem in good spirits as she laughs at the blonde's words, reaching up to quickly wipe away the tear.

"Thanks, Lucy."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon goes by in a flash.

The girls had made up for the time they'd missed each other in school and basically talked about they're day. Well, it was mainly Lucy. Lisanna had assured her that her own day was unconventional and was way more interested in Lucy's own.

Lucy had given it, but mainly to complain about how unfair it was that they didn't have the same classes,  _at all._  Lisanna had also partook in that sorry conversation. There had also been some fawning over how beautiful Erza was and how jealous Lucy was about it, something that Lisanna couldn't help but laugh about, but agreed.

Lucy had told Lisanna what had happened after the cafeteria incident too – how she had found Gray and how Juvia had showed up.

Lisanna had stayed mostly quiet, with a concerned look in her eyes the whole time Lucy told her the story. When Lucy asked what it might be about, Lisanna hadn't been able to give her a proper answer, but Lucy put it down to she didn't know either.

"Gray and Juvia used to be very close a while back, but I think they grew apart when she left town."

"But...Juvia's not out of town?" Lucy frowned as she sipped at her tea.

"Not anymore, but she did leave – a few years ago. She moved back last weekend. Today was her first day back in school."

Lucy hummed as she took another sip, the hot beverage instantly warming up her chest as she swallowed. It had gotten pretty cold out now that the sun had set. "That must be why Gray looked so shocked to see her..."

"Must be," the other girl said, putting her empty cup in the sink, before turning back to Lucy. "I'm glad she's back though and I'm happy for her brothers too. I know they missed her – Gajeel for one, is lost without her at home when it comes to laundry and food." A giggly smile dawns the girl's face at some memory that pops into her head, before directing the smile to Lucy. "It'll be good for them to have her around – a girl in the house."

Lucy pauses in her next sip to blink at the girl. "They don't have a mother?"

Lisanna flushes at something, before laughing it off. "No, um. They live alone. Like me and Natsu."

"Huh, their parents out of town too?"

"Yeah."

Lucy doesn't entirely believe her, but lets it go for now. Besides, she didn't know them all that well or their situation. Instead she just nods and moves to put the kettle on again.

"You want some more tea? I may not make it the best, but I'll drink it more for the feeling than the taste."

Lisanna laughs lightly at the words, but shakes her head.

"Wish I could, but I should probably head back home to start dinner. Natsu may have already given up on me and started on his own – if that's the case, I can expect no food left over in the house."

Lucy only smiles tightly at the mention of Natsu, but Lisanna doesn't seem to notice, so she thinks it's okay.

When Lucy's walking Lisanna out the door, another conversation from this morning pops into her head. One that couldn't be ignored forever.

Zeref Dragneel.

If they were really going to do this best friend thing – Lucy didn't want there to be any secrets between them. At least not no one that the whole town already knew and could use against them. The less drama, the better.

"Wait," Lucy says just as Lisanna makes to walk to her house. When the girl turns to look at her, Lucy feels herself weaken, but pushes through. She didn't want this to come back to bite them. "Maybe...maybe this isn't my place, but...I heard a lot of rumors around the school – about you and Natsu."

Lisanna's smiles tightens and Lucy shakes her head to stop any bad thoughts from entering the girl's mind.

"It's nothing bad, well nothing that makes me not want to be your friend, but..." She sighs. "I know you told me to not trust anyone and no matter what they tell me, I'm always,  _always_  gonna be on your side, but I need you to be honest with me here..."

Lisanna tentatively takes a step closer to the blonde, her eyes portraying her worry. "What is it?" Although she asks, its clear that Lisanna doesn't really want an answer.

"The fact that some of the people in the town avoid you...does, does it have anything to do with Zeref?"

So many emotions flash in Lisanna's widened eyes at the name – fear, longing, anguish, guilt and so much more that she can't even begin to explain. The girl looks about ready to run, a reflex, but something keeps her standing on Lucy's porch.

Lucy likes to think it's because of their previous conversation – that Lisanna may finally be able to trust her on a more personal level.

"W-who told you about that?"

There was no going back now.

"I'm not naming names," Lucy said gently. "But I heard about how you and Natsu had another sibling. Then the name Zeref came up and I just...put two and two together."

Lisanna bites the inside of her lip as she slowly shakes her head, as if to chase away her own memories.

Guilt swell in Lucy, but she really wanted to talk about this – for Lisanna to personally tell her about him. For it to come from her and not just some other student who may not have the details right.

"Yes," the silver-haired beauty breaths as if admitting it will make it true and it pains her. It looks like it takes a lot for her to confess it. "This whole thing does have something to do with Zeref." she turns slightly to cast a brief look up at the sky, before whispering; "he was my brother...and my best friend, until the day he disappeared with his girlfriend."

"Mavis," Lucy voices and Lisanna nods shakily.

"I...I know I should have told you about him, you were bound to find out, and I wanted to, but..." she swallows. "I didn't want to think about it, because it hurts too much."

Lucy breaths out guiltily and reaches out for Lisanna's hand, taking it into her own and squeezing comfortably. "I'm sorry I'm forcing you to bring it up, L."

She's relieved when Lisanna returns the action.

They stay like that for a moment, just staring at the garden, when with a final shake of her head, Lisanna turns to look at her again.

"I can't tell you much. He just disappeared one day...I'm sorry I never mentioned him before, it must seem really weird to you." Lucy shakes her head.

"It's okay. I know how you feel. It's still hard for me to think about my mom...I just don't want any secrets between us."

Another moment of silence creeps in, a weighty silence that comes when a heavy subject is brought up. Lucy allows it for a time and then thinks of how to break it.

"So, should I get into the witness protection program?"

Her words were soft, but Lisanna still blinks at the random question, before giving Lucy a weird look.

"What for?"

Lucy offers a small smile. "I'm pretty sure that Juvia was giving me death eyes – I don't know why, but I feel like she'd be happier with me at the bottom of the ocean."

Lisanna's giggle surprises even her, but once it's out, the icy air seems a little warmer around them. Lucy smiles a bit wider.

"No," Lisanna smiles too. "Just maybe avoid Juvia for the rest of the school year and you'll be fine – honestly though, I think it's  _Gajeel_  you should be worried about. He may just like you too much."

Lucy laughs too. "Oh, I think I can handle Mr Redfox."

The tense atmosphere seems to have disappeared and Lucy couldn't be more relieved.

"Hey, uhm. I wanted to do it today, but it ended up being too hectic this morning," Lisanna said, her voice brighter. "Do you want to drive to school together tomorrow?"

The smile that had formed on Lucy's lips tightens – but not because of the offer, but for what it entailed.

It would mean driving with Natsu too…

"Thanks, L," Lucy says, keeping her voice light. "But uh, I don't think I could handle getting up at the crack of dawn – plus your pretty scary. I wouldn't want to get on your bad side if I made us late."

Lisanna doesn't laugh as she'd hoped she would, instead the girl gives Lucy an understanding look.

"Lucy...I don't really know what goes on in Natsu's head…." Lucy grimaces at being caught out, earning a sympathetic smile from Lisanna. "just please be patient with him while he sorts himself out." Lisanna's smile turns the ground, before shrugging. "I can't promise you he'll ever be perfect, but everything he does, he does for a reason and I can't always blame him."

Lisanna meets Lucy's eyes again and the blonde, in turn, lowers her brown eyes to the floor.

"I know," she sighs. "I'm trying to understand, L, really, but...I guess my patience is running a little thin with your brother. I don't hate him, but..."

Lisanna squeezes the hand, Lucy still had linked with hers.

"Fair enough, and hey, if it gets really bad again, I can just steal his keys again."

That has Lucy huff, before smiling at the other girl. "I won't deny it might be a good idea."

Lisanna grins. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Definitely."

* * *

The next morning finds Lucy Heartfilia staring intensely at her closet.

After yesterday, she wanted to make a statement with her clothes...but what do you wear when you want to show people that you aren't affected by their stares and, at the same time, blend in to keep from any further drama?

Shuffling through her draws, Lucy pouts as she looks at her options. Didn't she just buy new clothes? What did she want to wear today?

Lisanna had great taste, maybe she should get her to help her out with tomorrows outfit? Although maybe it was just Lisanna that made everything work…

Groaning under her breath, Lucy started to throw out the reject for possible day outfits. She could figure this out. She didn't think her own style was bad. In fact, she always liked to think she was quite fashionable. She could figure this out easy.

When it eventually turned close to seven, Lucy settled on a long-sleeved, pink shirt and matched it with a denim mini-skirt and sneakers.

After some makeup and tying her hair up into a high pony, Lucy felt more or less satisfied. It would have to do.

Taking one more look in the mirror, Lucy silently promises herself that today will be better.

Her reflection seems to believe it, so Lucy smiles and practically skips down the stairs and yells out a goodbye to her aunt.

Aqua had gotten a day off today and was still sleeping – so her response was a warning-filled yell from upstairs.

It had Lucy giggling mischiefly as she leaves the house.

* * *

She gets to school on time at least, and as expected, she finds whispers and stares following her everywhere she goes.

It was insane – she couldn't even get to her locker without someone giving her a weird look!

Lucy kept her head high though as she approached her locker. She didn't want them to think she was ashamed of yesterday – the taboo that was approaching the  _outcast table_. No, she would carry on as normal. Maybe these people would eventually get sick of her.

Lucy had just opened her locker when a heavy  _ **thud**_  sounds against the locker next to hers.

"Yo! Lucy Heartfilia!"

Started at the confident call, Lucy takes a second to compose herself, before looking over her shoulder at the voice. She's surprised to see that jock-ish boy from yesterday – the one that she had almost greeted when she first stepped onto campus, but then his friends had shown up.

She was even more surprised that he knew her name – or that he was even talking to her after yesterday.

Oh wait – small town. Everybody probably knew her name….that wasn't unsettling at all.

The boy was leaning confidently against the locker next to hers, his large frame oozing with a sort of swagger that always seemed to consumed jocks. He wasn't as tall as Gajeel or Natsu, but Lucy still had take a step back to properly meet his eyes and not just his jaw line. He was giving her a pleasant smile – maybe a little cocky, but nothing too overbearing. If anything, there seemed to be a look of near admiration in his eyes too.

She was still the new kid in town. Who was she to refuse a possible friend her attention?

"Uhm, hi," Lucy greeted, her voice a little awkward, but her smile was friendly.

"Got a moment to talk? The name's Simon by the way – Simon Keens."

Well, if he was willing to give her his name so nicely, he couldn't be plotting against her, right?

Plotting against her? Really? One bad day and she already thought everyone was out to get her. It was so stupid. The small town was getting to her.

Moving to close her locker, and with it, her suspicions, Lucy then fully turns to look at the man, nodding politely. "It's a pleasure to finally be able to put a name to the face, Simon."

He flashes her a dazzling smile, one that has cute, boyish dimples and a sparkle of charm.

"Yeah, I should've introduced myself yesterday when I first saw you, but I guess I chickened out."

Lucy smiles. "I think that was actually me. At least you came today though." Her words earn her a wink from the boy, a cheeky move.

"What can I say, I never disappoint twice."

The blonde shakes her head amusingly and adjusts her bag over her shoulders. She sees him follow the movement with his eyes, a spark flashing in them. It makes her swallow unsurely.

"So! Uh, what can I do for you?" she says suddenly. "Or did you just want to check out the fresh meat?"

The boy smiles at her jab, before shrugging easily. "Just wanted to say; you're pretty awesome."

Lucy doesn't know what to say, so she just gapes in surprise.

"Yesterday in the cafeteria," Simon grins at her and Lucy's brows raise. "You know? How you told off Natsu Dragneel.  _Man_ , I wish I had been there to see it."

Lucy frowns, still confused. 'Told off? Was that what people were saying?' She didn't really remember doing that exactly…and had the rumors change about her?

"I don't really think that's really what hap-"

"Hell yeah!" the boy sings and Lucy's mouth closes in fright at the sudden sound. "Natsu and that Juvia chick are two of the most stuck up kids at the school and you stood up to them on your first day!"

A flush starts to form on the blonde's cheeks from his  _loud_  compliment. She might have been flattered to be praised so openly like that, only, it wasn't how it happened. Not really.

She had sort of stood up to Natsu by telling him to stop playing with her….but, it wasn't like a clash of titans sort of thing.

The jock was grinning so widely though, so Lucy just let it go. What was the point anyway?

"I just wanted to let you know," Simon said after a couple more boasts about her that Lucy didn't catch in her dazed mind. "You know I like girl with a bit of attitude."

The confession has Lucy gape again, but only watches as he winks once more at her, before saluting her and stepping away from the lockers.

"I'll see you around, okay?"

As if on cue, the bell rings and Lucy watches Simon disappear into the crowd, not even bothering to nod or call out her response. For a few more seconds, she just blinks stupidly.

Were...were Natsu and Juvia really hated that much at the school? Juvia, for one, didn't seem all that stuck up, just a little off...okay, maybe a little snobby, but Lucy wasn't about to judge someone she barely knew.

And from the look she'd seen in the blue-haired girl's eyes yesterday when she saw Gray…

Sighing, Lucy adjusted her bag again and headed for her first class.

* * *

When second period, AP Calculus, rolls around, Lucy braces herself for the unavoidable meeting with Natsu.

She had been pretty good at avoiding him all morning – even though it was only second period. She hadn't even heard him or Lisanna leave for school.

Despite her efforts though, she couldn't keep from occasionally thinking about him.

Would he apologize when he saw her? Would he do the more expected thing and just ignore here? Did she want him to? That was a complicated question and one she was unwilling to try and answer.

A part of her secretly hoped that he just wouldn't show up for class. She wasn't ready to face him again – not if they would just continue down the same cryptic road. She didn't have it in her.

"Lucy!"

The blonde girl looks up from her textbook to see Levy and Erza walking towards her, worried expressions on their faces.

It was sweet, them being worried for her, she decided. She hadn't met up with them again yesterday, instead keeping to herself. Luckily, the rest of the classes had been pretty busy for any more conversations. When the day had ended, she had been fast in getting home.

"Hey, look I'm sorry that I didn't see you guys again yesterday, I was just-"

"Say no more," Erza shushed her, when they stood in front of her desk. "We get it. Gray filled us in. Sometimes you need some time to yourself."

"Yeah, and we saw more or less what happened in the cafeteria," Levy said, her expression changing from worried to regretful. "I'm sorry about what happened – I should have tried harder to get you to sit with us instead."

"-But if you want, you're more than welcome to sit with us today," Erza added and Lucy smiles at the two girls fussing over her gratefully.

Yesterday hadn't been all that bad in theory – she could deal with a few snobby people, and sure, the whispers about her were unsettling, but she could ignore them. Apparently some of the whispers were actually on her side.

She had just been upset that she had been played again.

Sighing, Lucy gives a small shrug. "I would love to, but unfortunately, I have a follow up with my doctor today."

Levy snaps her fingers in understanding. "Oh right, I heard something about you being attacked." Her eyes widen suddenly at her outspoken words and her voice grows softer when she looks back at Lucy. "Sorry, that was so insensitive."

"No, it's fine," Lucy reassures. "Really. I should have known that the rest of the town would find out."

Erza gives her an unsure look, before asking; "How are you doing? We didn't hear any details about it, just that you were confronted."

Lucy doesn't allow herself to think on the accident. The less time she spent on remembering that man's face, the better.

"Fine, it was nothing serious," Lucy lies – sort of. It had been a horrible experience, but she had come out of it with only a few scraps and bruises.

"Good," is the reply she gets from Erza, a gentle smile tilted on the red-head's flawless face. "We have too many of those things go wrong. Guess you were lucky."

"Yeah," Lucy smiles tightly. "Guess so." Luckier than all the previous girls anyway.

Levy takes her seat then, the one on the left of Lucy's, but her eyes remain on the blonde.

"I don't know what's up with you Lucy, but you seem to be a drama magnet. First that, than the Dragneel's?"

"I'm cursed since birth, I guess," Lucy jokes, a bit stiffly. A hand is placed on her shoulder then and Lucy looks up to see Erza giving her a comforting smile.

"So you can't make lunch, but can you at least make the football game tonight?"

The change of subject is more like a gift than a favor – and it was a normal, high school student subject!

Lucy's too busy smiling in gratitude when she hears Levy groan beside her.

"Do we really have to go to that?"

Lucy looks at the blue-head, before going back to Erza, who rolls her eyes at the unhappy girl. "Jellal wants to go and I think it would be a good idea to get you out of your house and away from your books."

Levy looks betrayed for a moment, before pouting in defeat. Lucy giggles.

She's never been to a game before, but it sounded like fun, although snuggling up with a good book was always a win in her eyes.

"So," Erza said, moving her attention from the still pouting girl to Lucy. "How about it? Wanna join us?"

"I didn't even know there was a game," Lucy admits and in the corner of her eye, Lucy sees Levy giving her a pleading look and she turns to smile sympathetically at her.

"Please come," Levy says when Lucy meets her eyes. "Don't make me sit alone with the love birds!"

"I thought we were cute to watch?" comes Erza's annoyed voice, but she blushes as soon as the words leave her lips.

Levy shrugs in reply. "You are, but that doesn't mean I meant to have my nose rubbed in it for a night."

Erza sighs in defeat, before looking back at Lucy. "Lucy?"

The blonde smiles at the exchange, but a second into thinking it over, her smile fades. "I want to...but I think I'm gonna skip this one. I still don't feel like..."

Erza shakes her head. "That's alright. You don't have to go to the game-"

"Then I don't have to e-"

Erza frowns at Levy. "You can keep Gray company." Levy pouts some more, but nods eventually, obviously knowing she isn't about to win."

"But the dance is a must," Erza finishes when she turns back to the blonde, who blinks in interest.

"There's a dance too?"

Levy giggles at the excitement in her voice. "Yeah, didn't you get the school schedule?"

Lucy shake her head and Erza sighs.

"In that case, I'll make you a copy. There will be other games, but the dance…" Erza's words die in her throat when the door suddenly opens behind them and sees Natsu walk into the room.

Lucy sees it too and her body tenses when he meets her eyes almost instantly. A stifling hush falls across the entire classroom as every pair of eyes turn to her and then to him.

Natsu lingers in the doorway with an impassive face as he just stares at her. He seems to be contemplating something and Lucy tears her eyes away from his when she gets a hold of herself. She drops her gaze to her textbook instead, but doesn't bother to pretend to read it. Who would she be fooling? She'll just settle for frowning at it.

A second later, she hears the flump of Natsu's backpack hitting the ground and then the creak of the desk as he sits down. Lucy's frown deepens.

So. Ignoring her existence is it then.

The hand still laying on her shoulder squeezes and Lucy looks up at Erza.

"Don't let him bother you – and if he does, he'll have me to answer to." With that said, Erza drops her hand and walks away to take her own seat, two rows behind Lucy's desk. She can still feel the heavy gaze of Erza's eyes on her back and it almost felt like she was being guarded. An odd, but sweet feeling.

Lucy breaths small-y, before catching Levy's eye. The tiny girl winks at her – her own sort of encouragement - and Lucy smiles in return, before leaving Levy to unpack her books. Lucy, herself, follows suit to retrieve her notebook.

She doesn't let her eyes fall on the back of the boy ahead of her.

* * *

The second period takes unbearably long for the blonde teenager and when the bell finally does ring, Lucy is ready to call it a day, fake sick and go home.

Why did she have to pick such a difficult and boring subject?

At least now it was over.

Lucy is quick in packing her bag and it's only when she stands up that she gives in to the pull of looking at Natsu's desk. She's surprised when she finds it empty. How does he keep doing that without her noticing?

Still, some relief is there when she finds it empty and Lucy shakes her head, before pulling on her bag. It was for the best.

Levy and Erza wait for her to finish packing, before all three girls head out together. Unfortunately, the next period had them in different classes. Lucy's mood significantly dampened when she glimpsed at the period schedule. She didn't have Lisanna in any of her classes and had only a couple with Erza and Levy. To her knowledge, she only had Gray in one class, but it wasn't the class she had to head to now.

Erza didn't linger with them when they got out the classroom, saying she had to be quick, considering her next class was on the other side of the school. After a hasty goodbye – and a good luck to Lucy concerning her checkup – Erza was jogging down the stairs.

'Even when she was running, she looked like a queen,' Lucy sweated with a defeated smile.

"Hey Lucy? Can I see your phone real quick?" Levy asked once they crossed over the doorway.

"Oh, sure," Lucy said and gave the girl her phone, watching as the short girl typed something into her phone.

"There!" Levy said, before giving the phone back to Lucy. "I added my contact. Text me when you come back from the doctor. I'll wait for you at the gate if you get back before lunch ends. "

Lucy blinked at the blank screen of her phone, before smiling brightly at the other girl. "Will do, thanks Levy."

Levy smiles back and then taps the back of the phone. "I added Erza's too. She'd want you to have her number, especially since you're basically part of our group now."

"I don't know what to say. I'm honored to be accepted so quickly," Lucy teased, but her eyes sparkled with her gratitude. It was nice to have more friends, especially in a town that was slowly starting to go against her.

Levy laughed at the tease and shrugged. "What can I say, you're kinda endearing. How can we not snag you?"

Lucy blushes slightly at the words, but her smile stays. "Good to know."

"Hey, I gotta run," Levy says after smirking. "Make sure to text me so I can save your number, kay?"

Lucy nods and the little blue-head sends her a wink, before turning to walk down the hallway.

Lucy watches her go, until she can't see her anymore and the blonde smiles back down at her phone again. That really was sweet of them.

Someone clears their throat behind her and Lucy blinks before turning to see who it was – only to face Natsu staring back at her with passive expression. Lucy's eyes widen for just the smallest moment, wondering how neither her, nor Levy had noticed him – or had he just showed up as the shorter girl was leaving?

For a few seconds, that feel much longer to the blonde, the two only stare at each other, all alone in the hallway.

When Lucy snaps out of her haze, her lips pull into a frown and she slides her phone into her jacket pocket.

"Natsu," she greets, careful to keep her voice mono as she looks at him. She doesn't want to show him how hurt she had felt from yesterday.

"We need to talk," is his reply and it makes Lucy swallow thickly.

Brown eyes break the contact and she looks passed him. "I'm not really in the mood, Natsu. If it's about yesterday, just forget it, okay?"

"Not until we talk."

His determined words have a surprising affect on the blonde girl: anger spikes in her chest and her hands curl into fists when she meets his stare again with a raised brow and a deep scowl. "Oh, so know you want to talk?" she huffs, her annoyance and tiredness clear in her voice. "Weird, cause yesterday it seemed like you could barely look at me." She didn't mean to let the hurt echo in her voice then, but it did, and it only made her angrier.

Something flashes in his eyes, but Lucy isn't in the mood to try and guess what it right now and she turns to leave.

"Lucy-"

Lucy's feet go against her and freeze in their spot, her shoulder tensing up at the way he called her name. She didn't want this now – not today.

"Lucy, I-"

"I'm going to be late my next class," she interrupts and doesn't look back at him as she forces her legs to obey.

She only makes a few steps down the hallway – when he stops her with a surprisingly gently grasp on her arm. It was like he wasn't actually trying to prevent her from walking away from him, but like he was asking her to stop. Still, the feel of his hot hand around her arm has her pause in her steps. She hates herself for how it makes her stomach flutter.

"Just hear me out for a sec."

His voice is closer to her now and she can actually hear memnents of something strained in his tone. It makes her heart clench, but she still refuses to meet his eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I should even bother."

"...because I have a lot of things to say to you."

The huff of pained amusement is unavoidable as it leaves her throat. "Is one of those things an apology?"

In the corner of her eye, she sees the man frown deeper. She takes some satisfaction in it. She refused to make this easy for him.

"Do you want to hear me out or not?" Natsu sighs and Lucy rolls her eyes.

"Again: why should I care?"

Suddenly, the warning bell rings for third period and Natsu growls slightly at the sound. Lucy takes that moment to shake her arm free from his light grasp. He offers no resistance.

Something inside her wishes he had held on tighter – told her how sorry he was and that he would be better. She couldn't trust that part of her. Natsu wasn't that type of guy. She had to accept that and let it go.

Without another look, Lucy walks away from him, her steps quick.

He doesn't call out to her.

Lucy wishes she felt more relieved by that fact.

* * *

Third period flies by in a messy haze for Lucy. She barely registered anything that happened in class – she wasn't even sure what they had been talking about.

She took time in packing away her things. It was lunch period now, meaning all the other students had practically ran out of the door the second the bell rang. Lucy let herself linger.

She'd have to go to the hospital now anyway...she could be a little late.

When her bag was all packed and sending Lisanna a text, saying she was going to the doctor now, she had no more excuses to linger, so Lucy stood up and made to leave with a heavy sigh.

As soon as she walked out of the classroom, Lucy is surprised to hear the familiar "Hey" sound ahead of her.

She only stares at the pink-haired boy for a moment and he does the same to her. Shock and confusion plays at the blonde's feelings. Even with before, she hadn't expected him to seek her out again.

The tense atmosphere continues for a few more seconds, before Natsu steps forward, closer to her. Lucy swallows and he stops at the motion, his eyes never leaving her.

"What are you-"

"We still need to talk," Natsu voices as he stuffs his hands into his baggy jeans. Lucy frowns at the answer, even if she knew it was coming.

"I told you I didn't want to," Lucy says softly as she looks away from him and Natsu takes another step towards her.

"How about I walk you to your car? You can just listen to me while we walk. You don't even have to talk back. You're going to the hospital now, right?"

Lucy's head pops up to look at him surprised at the words. "How do you know about that?"

Instead of answering, Natsu just shakes his head and says; "What do you say? Can I?"

If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she senses some pleading in that question, but she dis-guarded that thought quickly. Her hands reach for her bag strap and clenches her hands around it to keep her grounded.

"Natsu..."

She sighs at her own swiveling thoughts and looks away from him again. How was she supposed to think straight with his eyes on her so intensely? She was still angry with him – she shouldn't do this. Before, she would have been happy or even thrilled to spend more time with him, as long as he behaved himself, but the hurt from yesterday was still fresh.

She also knew him a lot more than when she first met him. She knew his softer moments wouldn't last forever…and she didn't want to get stung again.

"What do you say?" Natsu asks again when Lucy remains quiet.

Lucy's hands on her straps tighten. "...Are you going to leave me alone after we get to my car?"

His response is fast and sure. "No, because I wasn't kidding when I said there's a lot for us to talk about and it's definitely not going to be enough for a quick five – ten minute walk."

They stare at each other in silence then while Lucy makes up her mind. When she brings her eyes up to look at him again, she isn't surprised to find that aggravatingly stoic look still on his face – a look she's begun to dread.

But there's a sting of determination there too.

" _Everything he does, he does for a reason. I can't always blame him."_

Lucy frowns deeper at the memory of Lisanna's words, as if they were going against her in that moment.

" _Please be patient with him."_

A small sigh leaves the blonde's lips, before she focus's back on Natsu. He did seem to generally want to talk to her…

Maybe just...just this last time...she'd give him a chance.

"In that case," Lucy said evenly. "I guess we should get going, so you can get talking."

Lucy doesn't wait for an answer before she begins to walk in the direction of where she knew the front gate was situated.

"Let me take your bag."

The random question has Lucy pause once more in the hallway and turns to give him a confused look. "Huh?"

Natsu doesn't look embarrassed in the least and shrugs at her look. "Take it as payment for walking with me."

Lucy blinks at that, before glancing at her strap and then back at him un-surely. "...I...no, that's okay. I can carry it."

The look she gets from him is bordering on annoyed and before Lucy can say another word, he steps up closer to her, reaches out and removes the bag from her shoulder, before swinging it over one of his own.

Lucy's mouth falls open in protest and reaches out to take it back, but he's already a few paces ahead of her by then. Lucy glares exasperatedly at the departing man. He doesn't look back at her as he walks, but considering he has her bag (and car keys, by extension), he must know that she'll follow him.

She begrudgingly wonders if that was his plan from the start.

Sighing heavily, Lucy has no choice but to give in, and jogs up to follow him.

Out in the hallway, there's a busy buzz as everyone watches her and Natsu walk together, side by side. Lucy, point blank, refuses to meet any of their curious gazes this time and keep she eyes straight.

It's only when a few girls huddle together to start a whisper battle about them, does Lucy sneak a hesitant peek up at the quiet boy.

'Why is he being quiet, anyway?' she frowns. 'Did he want to talk?'

Natsu doesn't look nearly as worried about the stares and whispers, he just keeps walking at their normal pace. If he notices her eyes on him, he doesn't let it show on his face.

Silently sighing, Lucy drops her gaze to her bag pack, it just barely swinging along with Natsu's strong steps. She really wished he wasn't carrying it.

Stares were fine – Lucy could deal with that no issue – but knew rumors about her would only get worse if he continued to carry her school bag. Those rumors might end up making more problems between them and...she didn't want to think about it.

With a dreaded pout, Lucy looks back ahead of her, her voice quiet and unhappy when she speaks up.

"Everyone's staring."

"And why should we care about them staring?" comes Natsu's bored reply and Lucy hunches her shoulders slightly.

'Of cause he wouldn't get it.'

"Because you're carrying my bag," Lucy sighs, deciding to help the apparently-oblivious man.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

The blonde can only shake her head unbelievably at his question, before forcing herself to change the subject. Hey, at least he wasn't giving her the cold shoulder.

"So," she voiced softly. "When are you going to tell me whatever it is you wanted to talk about?" She asks this just as they exit the front gate, turning to stop and look at him when she hears Natsu close the door behind them.

His lips are strained in a small frown when he meets her eyes and Lucy steels herself for preparation.

"...right now, actually," Natsu answers her question. He hesitates then again and Lucy crosses her arms in her wait, but beyond that – she feels uneasy.

"...You know you're nothing like I'd expected," he sighs after a moment of conflict swirling in his eyes.

The words take her by surprise, but her frown is back as soon as she processes the familiar words.

"You've said that to me already," she sighs and Natsu frowns too – a thoughtful expression.

"I know."

He sounds annoyed – with her or with himself? Lucy doesn't know and she stays quiet as she stares up at him with tense shoulders.

Natsu opens his mouth again, but closes it as he continues to look at her, before sighing and reaching for her bag. Lucy watches as he pulls the bag off his shoulder and offers it back to her. She takes it with confused eyes that never leave his. Had he changed his mind?

"You-"

"I'll explain everything tonight," Natsu says and Lucy's brows raise.

"Tonight?"

Natsu gives one nod, not frowning, but also not smiling. "You have a checkup to get to, you should get going."

Lucy's hands tighten around the bag as she stares up at him.

"Did you really have anything to say to me?" The words leave her lips without her permission and Natsu's hands go back to his pockets.

"Yeah."

Then why?

He seems to hear her thoughts and gives her a look she can't understand, before nodding his head in the direction of where her car is parked.

"Get going, Lucy. I'll see you tonight."

And with that, he goes back into the building. Lucy isn't sure what to thinking.

* * *

The rest of the school day is slow, and honestly, kind of boring.

Just like her checkup at the doctors.

She had insisted to her aunt that she didn't need a checkup, but Aqua wasn't taking any chances. In the end, she was perfectly fine – like she had been saying all along.

Now, Lucy was sitting in the living room, a book in hand as she let the peaceful, afternoon silence surround her. She had decided to read downstairs as soon as her aunt went to sleep.

Surprisingly, with everything that was going on, Lucy wasn't tired yet. She needed something to relax her – so reading it was.

At around 8 pm, she hears a knock at the door. Lucy startles at the sound and looks at the door, as if needing another knock to sound to confirm the last one.

"Lucy? It's me."

Lucy's eyes waver at the sound of Natsu's voice. She hadn't really been expecting him to show up – a part of her had took his resistance in the parking lot as a sign that he had changed his mind. Apparently, she had been wrong.

Lucy can't bring herself to actually get off the couch though and slowly glances up at the clock. She lets out a soft gasp at the time and only then realizes that she had been holding her breath ever since she heard his voice.

Her eyes move back to the door then. There's no more attempts at knocking and the room goes back to quiet. Lucy wonders if he went home.

Something tells her that can't be the case with Natsu though and Lucy bites her lip.

After a few more seconds, the blonde's mind is made up and she sets her book down on the end of her couch, before making her way to the door. She hesitates when she reaches the handle, her hand tightening into a fist.

Frowning at her own actions, Lucy steels herself and this time opens the door. She instantly finds Natsu's eyes.

"Hey."

"Hi," Lucy says back softly, unsurely. Her short reply has Natsu sigh, a small sound, but Lucy doesn't offer more. What was she supposed to say anyway?

"I'm surprised you answered," Natsu admits out loud and Lucy's hand drops from the handle to wrap her arms around herself.

"What do you want Natsu?" she sounded more tired than she felt and Lucy suddenly wondered if ignoring the knock would have been the better option. What was she even expecting here?

Natsu regards her tense form for a moment, before meeting her eyes again – his giving nothing away as usual. "I came to explain things," he frowns at his own words, before shaking his head. "Things that I've been trying to sort out myself actually."

Lucy's gaze drop to the ground and then back up to him, her hands rub up and down her bare arms in an attempt to warm them, but really it's just something to do. Natsu's eyes follow the movement, before his brows furrow and then he blinks.

"You're...you're in your pajamas."

Lucy cocks a brow at the statement. "Yeah, it's 8:00 at night. Why wouldn't I be in my pj's?"

Natsu at least has the decency to look a bit guilty at the spoken fact, his hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. His eyes move to the potted plant next to them.

"Right."

Another beat of silence follows and Lucy is about ready to go back inside and leave him, when he speaks up again.

"Can we go for a walk?"

Lucy blinks at the invitation, waiting for more, but Natsu just stares at her. Turning to look back inside the house, Lucy bites at her lip again, before whispering; "I don't think-"

"Please, Lucy," Natsu says, catching onto her words. "I think better when we walk, and I'm trying to..." he trails off awkwardly and Lucy's brows furrow at the tired, complicated look on his face.

"To what?"

Natsu frowns down at himself and when he meets her eyes again, they're less distant then before.

"Lucy, please. Walk with me."

She shouldn't.

She should walk back inside and shut the door in his face. Teach him a lesson….but…

Lucy can't bring herself to and her mouth is opening before she can convince herself otherwise.

"...Only because you said please."

One last chance.

Natsu smiles. A small action, but one that transforms his face and Lucy's eyes flutter down to her toes under the stare.

What was wrong with her? Sometimes she felt so powerless around him and other times she wanted to shake him! This can't be healthy.

"Go get changed, Lucy." His voice sounds softer now, more careful and Lucy looks up at him again to see the change. His smile is gone, but he's not as hard anymore. "I'll be waiting here."

Lucy doesn't respond as she turns to go back inside, but pauses before she gets to the stairs to look back out the door – only to see him looking up at the sky.

The moonlight does things to him. There's almost a mystical glow to him with it on him. Her eyes move away.

Going with him tonight might be a huge mistake, but...lying to herself was never helpful either.

She doesn't spend too much time dressing, just pulling on a pair of skinny jeans, a warm top and a pair of brown boots.

She tiptoes down the stairs when she's finished, careful to not wake up Aquarius, who no doubt wouldn't be happy with her taking a walk in the dark.

She didn't have to worry though, she didn't think they'd be very long.

Grabbing her coat as she passes the rack, Lucy walks outside and closes the door silently behind her.

When she turns around, she finds Natsu in the same position as when she left him. He doesn't look at her, but she knows he heard her appearing. She wonders what he's thinking about.

Folding her coat to hold it better in her arms, Lucy walks closer to the pink-haired boy, taking him in as she get closer.

"You do that a lot, don't you?" Lucy voices her thoughts as she watches him continue to stare up at the stars.

Natsu blinks at her question and then turns to her, an amused smile pulling at his lips when he takes in her appearance – or more specifically, her shirt.

"Cute," he raises a pink brow when he meets her eyes again. "You into cartoons or something?"

He was referring to the character printed on her shirt. It was an anime version of a type of dog, called Plue. The character came from a show she used to watch – when her father allowed her the time. As a child, Lucy had adored the cute, little pup. It had been a sort of comfort for her when her mother passed away. She even had an old plushy of him somewhere in her closet.

"He's cute, sue me," Lucy defended herself, holding her coat higher against her chest self-consciously as she pouted at the boy. "And it's from an anime, actually."

Natsu huffs out an amused breath and Lucy's pout deepens.

"Of course you'd like things like that."

Lucy rolls her eyes, but feels her chest warm all the same at his soft chuckle. When she looks at him again, she feels her mind race again.

"I also like things that are dark and misunderstood." It's out before she can stop herself, but the self-loathing is withheld when she spots the hint of flush that forms on his cheeks after understanding flashes in his eyes.

He blinks at her in astonishment...before chuckling again.

_Woah._

Swallowing her nerves down, Lucy looks back at the other house, desperate to take the attention off of her and her mistake.

"Where's Lisanna by the way?" Lucy grumbles out. "She's not joining us for this mysterious walk?"

"She's at the football game with Cana and the Redfox boys."

Lucy looks at him with surprise written on her face. She didn't know Lisanna was going to that.

"...Why aren't you with them?"

Natsu blinks offhandedly. "Because I still had to talk to you."

Lucy's stupid heart skips a beat at the obviously-like way he said it and only nods once.

"Anyway, now that you're dressed..." Natsu starts and with a single, fluid motion, offers her his hand.

Lucy can only dumbly stare at it, before looking at his face again, only to wish she hadn't soon after.

Framed in darkness, the specks of gold seem to shine brighter in Natsu's already dark eyes. It felt like they were piercing through her.

"I don't want you to get lost," is his next sentence, like he feels the need to explain himself when she doesn't say anything.

Lucy's eyes drop to his hand again, heart and mind at odds.

It's the latter that wins in the end and Lucy looks away from him, her arms tightening around her coat.

Possible friends or not – these feelings she's been having for him...she can't let them get too powerful when she can't even trust him to stick by her in the future.

She hears Natsu make a hushed sound and then sees him lower his hand, before taking the lead in the walk.

"Just stick close to me, alright?"

Lucy follows silently behind him.

* * *

It's only once they've passed the border of trees and when she can't see their houses anymore that she speaks up again.

"Are you only ever nicer when we're alone?" her voice was filled with built-up confusion and it has Natsu halt in his steps. Lucy does too, staring up at him with seeking eyes, her hands deep in the pockets of her coat she know wore.

Natsu gives her a sigh and Lucy's lips tighten into a line. "...if you're not going to be at least a little open, then I don't see any point in me walking with you." Her voice was more of a whisper, but her words were strong – she meant it. She wasn't in the mood for games.

Lucy watches how his shoulders slump just the slightest bit, before he gives up and turns to look back at her. She swallows at the tired look he gives her, but she was tired too. She deserved better.

"Lucy," Natsu breaths. "Come on-"

"I'm tired Natsu," she says then, silencing him. She makes sure he sees it reflect in her eyes, her truth, before she bites the inside of her cheek. "I can't...I want us to be friends, but...not if you're going to treat me the way you do. Maybe if you opened up to me..."

Natsu glances to the side so that his face is more shadow than light, before muttering out; "You wouldn't get it."

Lucy steps up closer to him. "So explain it to me."

Natsu stares down at the small blonde and Lucy doesn't look away. It makes something waver in his eyes and he shakes his head.

"My life is a complicated one, Lucy. Mind and Lisanna's, and we do what we have to do."

"And what about what you _want_  to do?"

Something shifts in Natsu's dark eyes again and he looks away from her with a grunt. "What we want is something very...reckless."

" _Be reckless with me, kitten."_

Lucy's heart flutters again at the memories that come with the specific word. She hides her inflamed cheeks by stubbornly looking at the ground. "And is this...us hanging out, I mean, is that reckless?"

"It is," he says without hesitation and Lucy flinches at the honest tone.

"But it doesn't stop me from wanting to do it."

Lucy finds his eyes again the second the words sound and stills at the look she finds there.

She'd never met anyone with such intense eyes before. Not before Natsu.

"Then..." she whispers, body moving on it's own and she allows it. "let's be reckless together."

Natsu's hand is cool when she gently and hesitantly grasps it, but when he wraps his fingers around hers, warmth blossoms through her whole body. Lucy's eyes slip closed and finds herself being consumed by the warmth again and breaths out slowly, before looking up at him again.

"Just don't make me regret it, okay?"

When her eyes are back on him, she finds that his own eyes are fixated on their joined hands. Something she'd only seen once before, haunts his eyes - like on the night he rescued her.

It sends a shiver of fear through her body.

"Natsu?"

"I'm sorry."

Lucy's mouth opens, but no words come out as she looks at him in shock.

The next thing happens too fast for her to fully register it at first. With a sudden jerk, Natsu pulls her to him and the next thing she knows is that she's surrounded by warmth,

His warmth.

Natsu's arms enclose around her almost too tightly and Lucy feels her cheeks heat up dangerously at the familiar feeling.

"Natsu," Lucy whispers, her voice high and soft, and she feels him sigh above her. His arms tighten their hold soon after, forcing her even closer to his chest and Lucy felt her heart almost com-bust at the movement. His hold was almost protective – but what was he protecting her from? The town? That man? Himself?

"I'm so sorry."

Lucy's shock of it all fades and her eyes soften at the softer tone of his voice and then slowly, she lifts her arms to press gently against the sides of his waist, grasping the material there. He sighs again at the action and Lucy leans her forehead against his chest. Slowly, she can feel the tension from both their bodies dissolving. She lets out a small gasp when more of that intense warmth washes over her – but before she can soak it up, he's pulling away from her.

The blonde doesn't argue against it and is left feeling cold when he's put distance between them again. To her surprise though, his hand drops back down to take hers again.

A tiny bit of warmth – a tiny ray of light in the cold and empty darkness.

Lucy's eyes lift away from their hands to look back up at him again, not caring this time how red her face must be.

Natsu's staring down at her too – a faraway look present in the dark orbs. She smiles shyly up at him and sees his jaw clench at whatever thought popped into his mind, before he nods ahead of them.

"Come on. We should start walking before it gets too late."

Their walk through the woods is a quiet one, with nothing but cricket songs to fill the silence. Lucy wonders where they are going, but doesn't want to break the silence to ask. She just allows the forest sounds and their footsteps to fill the air as she lets Natsu lead her through the dark forest.

Natsu hadn't spoken since they continued their walk. She wondered if he was trying to sort out his thoughts or if he was waiting for them to get to wherever it was he was taking her to talk.

A part of her wishes that they'll never arrive, just so she can stay in this peaceful moment.

Several long minutes pass before Natsu finally speaks up.

"I'm sorry about Juvia."

Lucy peeks up at him as they continue walking, before going back to making sure she doesn't trip over any large roots or twigs. She thinks back on the moment she met the blue-haired girl, and then to her and Lisanna's conversation yesterday afternoon. "...I think she hates me," is the blonde's whisper of a reply.

Natsu sighs beside her and then runs his free hand through his hair, as if he's frustrated with something. "She doesn't hate you, none of them do. It's just..." he said, and Lucy sent him an unbelieving look. Lisanna had tried to tell her the same – she still had different beliefs.

"They don't trust me," Lucy says when Natsu looks away from her look.

She sees him frown, before saying; "It's nothing personal Lucy. She's just...she's been through a lot."

 _We all have,_  is the silent meaning to those words and Lucy looks away from him.

"But I shouldn't have let her talk to you like that," Natsu sighs again, not allowing the silence to form again. "She's a familiar friend and family...family means a lot to me."

"...has any of this got to do with your parents?" Her words have Natsu stop in their steps and when she looks up at him with nervous eyes, his brows are high.

"What?"

Lucy bites her lip at her slip up, but the question was out and she couldn't take it back. "It's just…it seems that whatever's going on with you seems to be the same with the Redfox's," her eyes drop to her boots. "I don't know, but should I be calling child services or something?"

"...Listen Lucy," Natsu says through a breath. "I brought you out here not to talk about me, but about you."

Lucy presses her lips together in her disappointment. She should have expected that he wouldn't want to explain that part of things. It wasn't like it was any of her business anyway…

"Fine," Lucy swallowed. "What-what do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to apologize to you."

Lucy barely smiles at the information. "Didn't you already do that?"

"Lucy," Natsu's voice unreadable, Lucy's eyes close for a moment.

"Did Lisanna steal your keys again? Is that why you're even bothering with me?"

Another sigh sounds, more tired and fed up. "Why do you always have to question everything I do?"

Lucy's shoulders tense and she opens her eyes to look up at him straight. "I only do that because you leave me no choice – I never know what's real with you."

Natsu frowns at her town. "My sister isn't blackmailing me, Lucy. Not this time."

The cold wind blows through the forest, bringing with it a chill that runs deep in her bones. Lucy shivers against it and feels her strength weaken with it too, her eyes leaving his.

"Maybe I should just go home."

The hand holding hers doesn't let go though.

"The way I treated you at lunch, you didn't deserve it," Natsu says, his voice softer. Lucy still doesn't meet his eyes.

"You always treat me like that, Natsu," Lucy sighs, before meeting his eyes. "You're always hot and cold. I can't keep playing your game, I meant it."

Natsu's eyes flutter closes as if he's holding something back. "I know, it's just..." he frowns deeper. "It's to protect you."

Pain. There's a raw pain in his voice, no matter how hard he tries to hide it now and that mask of his shatters when he opens his eyes again.

All she can see is grief and loss when he looks at her.

'Zeref. Natsu and Lisanna's brother…Zeref…and that girl, Mavis.'

That's what all this was about. It had to be.

"Natsu..." Lucy's anger fades away as she stares at him and her heart wenches at the pain there. This Natsu – this was the one behind the bad-boy mask. The one that was hurting – that desperately wanted to keep his sister safe, maybe because he was scared of losing another person her cared for.

Reaching up, Lucy is careful and gentle as she touches the side of his face. He flinches as soon as she does and Lucy's hand withdrawals immediately – but he's quick to catch it.

"Sorry, I was just...I didn't mean to flinch. I was just tense and..."

Lucy nods in understanding, her hand relaxing his and he lets her go. She hesitates again, before even slower, reaching up and touching his face.

He takes it better this time and she feels herself ease when he lets out a shaky sigh. Her fingers skim upwards then and she gently brushes his hair back and out of his over-bright, dark eyes. The pink strands were as softer as they looked – maybe softer and she allows herself to play with them, just a little.

When her eyes trail back to his eyes, she finds him staring at her openly, searchingly. Her eyes soften.

"I'm sorry that something so tragic happened and hurt you so deeply," she voices and Natsu's body relaxes at her words, a look of surprise on his face, but it vanishes too fast.

Had he expected her to say something else?

"I'm sorry that you keep getting caught in the crossfire of all this insanity," he says back and Lucy shakes her head, a sad smile forming on her lips when she looks at him again.

"...I should stay away from you," she says almost too quietly. "My life would be so much easier if I did."

Hurt – though he tries to hide it – flashes in his eyes and then something like understanding and acceptance replaces it. It hurts her more – that look.

"But I don't think it's all that possible," she adds and Natsu's eyes close.

"Lucy-"

"I know about Zeref."

The tenseness comes back, stronger and harder, and his eyes are clouded over with confusion and a hint of...fear. When her hands fall away from him, his mask is back on, eyes hardened once more.

"How did you find out about my brother?"

Lucy looks desperately up at him, not wanting this to cause a rift between them again. She just wanted him to know that she knew – and that she was on his side.

"The kids at school heard about him and they talked about it."

Natsu's jaw clenches tight, before looking away from her and Lucy reaches for him.

"Natsu, I'm sorry about-"

"You can't even imagine what happened to Zeref." Lucy's hands fall back at the words. His voice is tight like a rubber band pulled to its limits and his hands curl into fists.

Lucy can only stair helplessly.

"Trust me," she voices and he looks at her for a long moment, before shaking his head.

Then he turns again and walk on ahead.

Lucy follows with silent steps, chest tight as she looks down to the ground.

"...It happened over a year ago."

Lucy's steps falter for a second at the words, before looking back at him with relief in her eyes and then following him again.

"...Why did you never mention him?" Lucy asks, her voice carefully soft and calm. The laugh Natsu makes is cold and sharp like a knife.

"What's the point in talking about it? I mean, my brother is gone," his voice changes again to that strained tone. "And some poor girl's family will never see their daughter again. How would telling you any of that solve anything?"

"Natsu..." Lucy sighs small. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry-"

"Yeah? Then why are you bringing up Zeref now?" Natsu asks, voice dipping and Lucy looks up to stare at his back.

Her temper spikes at the angry, accusative tone and stomps to a halt to glare at his back.

"Because it's obvious that whatever happened to him hurt you!"

Natsu stops too and turns to glare back – Lucy's chest rises and falls with heavy breaths as they keep eye contact, before sighing.

"...It's why you're so messed up, right?" she whispers weakly. "And why you're so hot and cold. Why one minute you're nice and the next you're a prick."

Once again, they find themselves at a closed door. One that Natsu is determined to keep shut and one that Lucy desperately wants to open. Why do they always end up like this?

She softens and meets his hard gaze. "Listen, I'm sorry if I'm coming off as nosy, but it's just...I care okay? I care about you and Lisanna, but the two of you have these stupid bundles of secrets. I mean, I don't even know anything about your family."

"There's not much you need to know," Natsu replies, but at least when he talks, his voice isn't as angry anymore. Just void. "What's so strange about my family."

Lucy shrugs. "Are your parents really out of town?"

The question had popped up in her mind a couple times before, but the idea of hurting Lisanna kept the blonde from asking the question. With everything else, she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Why would someone's parents leave their kids alone after one of them goes missing?

"You know what I hate the most about you right now, at this moment, Lucy?"

Lucy frowns at the tone. "What?"

Natsu looks down, frustration clouding his features. "You're always trying to get into other people's business – even when they have nothing to do with you."

"That's because the strange things are happening around me!" Lucy shoots back. "Sorry for noticing them."

Natsu scoffs at her answer. "Aside from that psycho who attacked you, name one strange thing that's happened to you."

Lucy pauses then, unable to actually answer Natsu's challenge. Ever since that night, nothing strange had happened to her directly, but...strange things were happening around her.

"I thought so," Natsu says and then before Lucy can say anything, he crosses the line of shrubs and disappears between the narrow clearing of trees.

Lucy follows after him and when she get passed the tress…

"Oh."

The lake. It was absolutely stunning at night.

A thousand and one starts glisten across the onyx surface: a mirror of the heavens above. Fireflies dance at the edges like living stars, while the wind blows a soft lullaby.

Lucy, enchanted by the beauty of it all, walks further out, her boots sinking into the powdery sand. It was even more breathtaking than the last time she came here – with how dark the forest was, Lucy hadn't even recognized the path they were taking.

Natsu comes to a stop next to her and the two just stay quiet as they take in the magical view.

"...Tell me the truth...did you have fun that day when you came out here to swim with me?"

When Lucy glimpses at him, the view of him is even more intoxicating than usual. Natsu looking at the lake with the moonlight silhouetting him perfectly, like an eclipse.

"I did," she answers honestly. "I loved almost every second of it."

"Why?"

Lucy shrugs. "I guess it was because you let yourself go around for the first time." She could already feel the heat flood her cheeks from the confession, but she didn't care. She wanted him to know.

Natsu nods at her answer, but keeps his eyes on the water. "You said you loved almost every second...what didn't you love?"

Lucy looks at the water too, her eyes clouding with the question. It takes a minute for her to answer.

"Probably the part that you had to be forced into going with me."

"I wasn't entirely forced into going swimming with you, you know."

Lucy smiled small-y at that. "So Lisanna stealing your keys had nothing to do with it?"

Natsu huffs. "It sort of did, but not really. I could have just given you cookies or something."

Lucy rolls hers eyes, but doesn't say anything back.

A moment later she hears Natsu exhale and suddenly she feels his hand wrap around her once more. Her head turns to look up at him in shock as their fingers entwine.

"Natsu-"

"Don't speak," he whispers and Lucy's words die in her mouth as he lifts her hand to his lips. She gasps as he kisses the back of it, his warm lips almost marking the skin.

"Just give me this moment, Lucy," his hot breath puffs out on her already tingling hand and Lucy's eyes widen more at the tone. "I know I don't deserve it, but just so I can remember."

Her words are hopelessly breathy and as she stares up at him. "Remember what?"

"So I can remember it...before I ruin everything again." At that, Natsu slips his hand away from her, before taking a step back. The short, extra foot of distance feels like miles all of a sudden and Lucy's body turns cold.

"Wait, Natsu-"

"I regret taking you here." Lucy stills at the words and Natsu's eyes turn painful. "I regret having fun with you. I regret everything."

The harshness of the words has Lucy's eyes sting with the tears threatening to build.

"Natsu-"

He ignores her.

"What happened yesterday – our whole relationship, it's only going to get worse from now on. I know that I told you this over the summer. I know that I kept breaking my own rules, but..." his jaw clenches and that horrible, distant look returns in his eyes. "You and I? We can never be friends."

There's a dark finality to his words as the last remnants of peace disappear from his face. Instead peace is replaced by war and sadness with anger.

And Lucy understands.

No matter what she does...he'll never accept her.

"...What did I do wrong to make you hate me so much?" Lucy's words shakes slightly as she tries to keep the tears at bay. Natsu looks away from her, back at the water.

"Being friends with me and Lisanna, it's only going to end in misery for you…or for us."

"You can't believe that-" Lucy's hands curl into fists and she glares at him, a tear escaping to roll down her cheek.

The pink-haired man's fists tighten at his side, but he keeps his eyes void. "Misery and death, there is no in between...and I'll do anything to protect the ones I care about."

Lucy's shoulders have tightened now and she feels something building aggressively in her chest at the cold, hurtful words. "Are you threatening me, Natsu?" Her words come out soft.

"No, threats are idle and meaningless. What I am telling you is a promise. I promise that if you keep meddling with my family, you will suffer." Natsu turns back to Lucy and the blonde gasps at how bright his eyes are shining in the dark, almost unnaturally. "You're nothing like us, Lucy...and you'll never be like us."

There's only a slight waver in his eyes, something that slips pass his defenses, but it disappears the second it appears.

"Leave me alone," Natsu says more softly, more tiredly. "Just leave me and my family alone. If you don't, I swear I'll do everything in my power to make you hate me."

He takes another step away from her and Lucy's desperate stare turns to a glare as more tears roll down her cheeks.

"You know what? Wish granted."

The next thing she knows – she's running.

Running away from the lake. Away from Natsu – and she doesn't stop, even when her legs start to protest. She doesn't care. She just keeps running.

Hot tears blind her vision and anger weighs down her soul. Still, she runs and runs and runs faster.

"Lucy!"

Lucy's movements speed at the sound of his voice and she can hear the crunch of leaves and twigs as he runs after her.

Why was he chasing her? He'd practically told her to fuck of!

Lucy doesn't stop when he calls her again, this time more urgently, and instead she runs faster.

She runs without looking back.

She runs without thinking.

If he wants her to hate him, then fine. She'll hate him. She had known it was a mistake to trust him again. Now she had gotten burned again.

She was done.

Lucy continues to run blindly through the forest, not caring where she was going, only with getting away. Soon she finds herself suddenly out of the woods and onto one of the main highways.

But even then, she refuses to stop.

"Lucy, COME BACK!"

The sound of Natsu's scream is suddenly overrun by a louder, hooting noise and the last thing Lucy sees are the twin headlights of a semi truck barreling towards her at full speed.

She screams.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy finds out the secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thanks SO much for all the amazing comments! I was so happy you all liked the last previous chapter.
> 
> Hope you like this one too! Let me know what you think (^_^)
> 
> Sorry for any spelling mistakes or other problems!
> 
> Enjoy - and I hope you all had a good weekend!

 

* * *

Lucy's life flashes before her eyes as the twin headlights of the truck blinds her. Like a startled deer, she's caught off guard and she's frozen in fear.

This is it. This is how she was going to die!

All she had time to do is close her eyes as she waits for the impact to come.

...but it never does come…

Instead she hears a song, a harmonic sound that fills her spirit with warmth and light.

What...what happened?

When she opens her eyes, the thing she first sees is the still-insistent flash of yellow in front of her and she turns her head to get away from it. That's when she hears thunder cracking in the distance and she looks up to see lightning streak across the sky. As she lowers her gaze from the sky, Lucy has to shield her eyes from the blinding glare of the headlights once more.

'W-what-!'

She stumbles back when she hears the engine's purr. The truck is still running – but was standing completely still. Inside, the driver sits frozen with empty eyes, while a flask of coffee lingers at his lips.

He isn't even seeing her…

No….he isn't even moving.

Taking a shaky step backwards, away from the frozen truck, her hand covers her mouth as she stares wide-eyed in shock and fear.

This can't be real.

She knows it can't actually be real, but it has to be...right?

"Lucy, get out of the road...NOW!"

"Natsu?!" Lucy's hand drops from her mouth and her breath comes back at the sound of the boy's voice. She turns around to see Natsu standing at the side of the highway, arms outstretched as if he's reaching for her. However, he's not looking at her – but concentrating on the truck and whatever it is he's doing to stop it from moving.

Lucy's frightened eyes go from Natsu then to the truck, her breath coming out in quicker gasps as she slowly understands what's going on.

"Natsu...this...this can't be real."

"Lucy, hurry!"

Lucy snaps back to stare widely at him and gasps at what she sees.

His eyes are no longer like how she last saw him. Instead they shine like stars, as every bit of him starts to fade and a blazing flame halos his body.

"Natsu."

Heart hammering, Lucy can only stand frozen and watches the night become bathed in a golden light….and from that light...Natsu emerges.

Except he's completely different. The man standing there is the same as the one she had seen after her attack at the library. She hadn't imagined it – Natsu...Natsu really wasn't normal.

"I new it," the blonde breaths as she takes in the mystical being.

The flaming boy is still struggling with whatever he's doing and his voice is strained and desperate as he calls out to her again. "I can't hold the truck back any longer! I can't bend time for too long, you need to get off the road!"

But Lucy doesn't follow his instructions. She feels lightheaded. All she can see is the beautiful being in front of her. She can't look away from him.

As if in response, the truck groans and rumbles as it strains against Natsu's psychic force. A pleading look takes over the mystic-being's face at the sound.

"Get off the road NOW, kitten!"

Whatever spells she's under is broken by the urgency in Natsu's plea. Lucy tears her gaze away from the boy made of fire and runs to the other side of the highway, her legs heavy and shaking. She doesn't stop until she falls unsteadily against one of the trees, her chest heaving with her heavy, crazed breathes.

The instant she's safe, she hears the truck howl past her and Lucy turns to see it driving off at it's fast pace.

The driver had never even noticed her.

Her heart kept pounding furiously in her chest as she stares after the no-longer-visible truck, and the minutes tick by as she just tries in vain to dig her finger nails into the bark of the tree.

She'd just seen Natsu turn to fire.

Natsu had stopped a  _whole freaking truck_  from tramping her by...she didn't know how he did it, but he did! Natsu – what was Natsu!? Even though she knew what she saw – there was no doubt in her mind that what she had just seen was real – but she still couldn't process it because – what the hack?!

As the dust begins to settle, the blonde slowly sinks to her knees, arms still out and clutching around the trunk of the tree, her fingers stinging from the digging, as she tries to even out her breaths.

Natsu...Natsu…

Looking up across the highway, Lucy frantically searches for the glowing boy – until she sees him still standing across the highway.

He's no longer made of fire, but those burning, dark eyes of his...she sees it: the embers of a living star. He's not even trying to hide. He's looking right at her.

"Na-Natsu?" Lucy stutters out as she stares at him, her breath still shaky.

Then he's walking towards her, slow steps as if not to startle her further – but just as he's crossed the road, when he gets closer – Lucy instinctively presses her back harder against the tree. He stops immediately and a desperate look, one different than when he was yelling at her to run, appears over his face.

"Lucy, please."

She can barely hear him, but the sound of it almost sounds forbidden. "I..." It's in that moment when she realizes the tears rolling heavily down her cheeks and down her neck. She doesn't know why she's still doing it – maybe it was the truth finally coming to light or the fear of what had almost happened.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. Just give me a chance to explain everything." There's sincerity in his plea and a genuine desperation to protect her from herself.

Lucy doesn't say or move again as she watches him take extremely slower steps towards her. Her eyes follow up to him when he's standing right in front of her. Beneath the moonlight, Natsu reaches out his hand for her to take.

Lucy stares widely at it, her body frozen before him. Natsu's teeth clench at the emotions that must be swirling in her watery eyes.

"I'm sorry I lied, but now you know why – just give me a chance to explain."

A beat of silence and then –

"Lucy, please don't run away."

He  _had_ lied to her.

He'd been lying to her all along. He's said there was nothing strange about his family, about him. He denied all the strange things happening around her. And yet...for the secret to be something like this…

Lucy swallows hard and closes her eyes as she tries to imagine what it must have been like for Natsu and Lisanna. She still wished he had treated her differently – she still didn't understand why he had done it the way he did...but with something like this…

She guessed her theory of it being more complicated than just a missing brother was right after all. She couldn't blame him for lying to her now – not with what she just saw.

When Lucy opens her eyes, a strange sense of calm washes over her. Even though her nerves still hum with fight-or-flight adrenaline, she keeps herself grounded and looks up at the boy in front of her – at those glowing eyes swirling with what she now new was specks of  _flames_ – of stars.

Slowly, he raises her hand as well, the both of them now reaching for each other….

"I trust you," she breaths, and Natsu smiles – a relieved smile and takes her hand in his.

"Thank you."

He pulls her up swiftly, but he doesn't stop once she's on her feet. Before she can blink, his arms are wrapped around her tightly as he hold her to his chest, still radiating off an almost unbearable heat. It takes over her entire body as soon as she falls into him.

"Thank you, Lucy," he says again, softer, more honest and Lucy blinks a few more tears that soak into his shirt. She lets out a tiny sniff and feels him stiffen around her the moment she does, but he doesn't let her go. "You're still nervous."

Lucy sniffs again at the words and against her better judgment, buries her head in the warm chest provided to her. "I'm not."

"You're tense."

"...that's because…" there's no point in lies. Not anymore. "I'm afraid." Natsu's shoulders tense up at the words.

"What are you afraid of? Of me?"

She shakes her head. "That you're going to freak out now….or disappear. Usually when these things happen, I black out or you disappear on me," she sniffs. "I don't know, Natsu...you're so unpredictable. I don't even know if I should forgive you – or get angrier or..."

"...you could hate me...it'll be better I you did."

"I want to...but I can't, Natsu...not really." She sighs. "...How can I with everything we've..."

Natsu doesn't answer her and it only makes Lucy sink further against him – more into the comforting heat.

He holds her a little tighter too, before eventually and stiffly pulling away. Lucy swallows at the action and quickly wipes her sleeve over her eyes to get rid of the stray tears once she's not hidden anymore. Natsu watches her with an uneasy expression, and feeling stupid for crying at a time like this, Lucy tries to look away, but gasps when Natsu's hand reaches out to gently wipe another tear that escapes her eye.

Blinking at the action, Lucy looks back at him and finds him staring at his hand with a strange look in his eyes.

"Y-you have to help me understand what – what just happened," she whispers, her eyes searching his, and the pink-haired boy grimaces at her words.

"Lucy…"

"Please," Lucy breaths. She can't go back to acting like nothing's changed – can't pretend that she hadn't just seen what he did.

"I..."

"...Lets go take a walk," Natsu says then, his hands curling into a fist, before slowly looking at her again. "And sit down somewhere nice and...I'll do my best to explain everything."

Lucy regards him with worried eyes, before nodding a bit unsurely.

* * *

Natsu and Lucy walk in deep silence, until they reach a small grove in the forest. Lucy's calmer and dryer eyes take in the beautiful sight as she gapes at it in wonder.

"There's so many hidden gems in this forest," her voice was still a little raspy from her crying, but she felt more steady now after the short walk.

Natsu's voice is calm and soft beside her as he too looks at the view. "Sometimes the most beautiful things are the ones that hide in plain site." Lucy peeks up at him with a small, unsure smile.

She hums in agreement and he glances down at her her too, before sighing soft and small. "Just like you."

The blonde girl's eyes widen at the unexpected compliment, before looking away from him. She knows he was just trying to lighten the mood between them – considering what she just witnessed – but she couldn't help herself from taking the compliment to heart. And it's not like he needed to build anything – she already said she had trusted him.

No matter what, she'd probably always trust him, even if she may not want to sometimes.

Peeking back up at him through pale lashes, Lucy decides to help ease the tension too. "And sometimes the most beautiful things hide behind brambles and thorns..."

Natsu looks sown at her again, confusion making home on his face as a pink brow raises at her words. "What?"

"Or taste bitter, but are actually good for you," the blonde unmercifully shrugs and sees him blink down at her, before a look of realization starts to dawn over his features.

"Are you-"

"Or push you away because they think that's what's best for you."

That last one was a dead give away and Lucy finds her voice lowering in thought at her own words. Is that really how Natsu felt?

Slowly, she and Natsu come to a stop as he continues to stare at her. With doubt creeping into his eyes, he hesitates, before reaching out and his long fingers runs along the side of her face. Lucy meets his eyes and doesn't push away the light touch, and sees the guilt weigh in those eyes too, before a half smile forms bitterly on his lips.

"Lucy, I..."

Lucy shakes her head, already knowing the words in his head, before letting her eyes fall to the floor. "...I can say more if you want?" She tries not to get lost in the warm, almost burning feeling of his fingers that still graze her cheek.

Natsu's stiff smile tilts up a bit at her words. "Are you making fun of me right now?" Lucy huffs.

"No, I'm not."

A faint flush tinges Natsu's cheeks when she looks back up at him, and he grumbles something she can't make out, before he retracts his hand to run it through his pink hair.

"I'm not sure if you're complimenting me or dissing me right now."

Lucy rolls her eyes. How was it that not so long ago she had been so set on hating this man and now…

Maybe because his actions we're finally starting to make sense.

"I told you, I'm not making fun of you," Lucy insisted. "I just think you're awful at taking compliments that aren't about your looks."

This time it's Natsu who rolls his eyes at the small taunt, before he looks down at the ground.

"Thank you, by the way. For not running away from me."

Lucy's eyes soften at the words, but she doesn't say anything. What was there to say when she couldn't explain the decision herself?

Natsu leads her to a nearby tree then and practically collapses as he sits down.

"Natsu!" Lucy feels worry escalate in her body at the sight and quickly kneels before him, her hands reaching out, but unsure.

"I'm fine," the pink-head reassures. "It's just that my last trick with that semi truck almost knocked me out."

Lucy breathes out in relief and shuffled to sit properly next to him.

Silence creeps back into their conversation as she and Natsu sit awkwardly next to each other. Many times, Lucy opens her mouth to say something, but ends up just backing down. She had just confirmed her suspicions that Natsu Dragneel was indeed  _not normal_  – but the thing was that they were just suspicions! There was always doubts and common sense weighing her down – and now that she knew for sure….

"Every time I try to fix things, they just go from bad to worse." Natsu's voice brings the blonde out of her tangling thoughts and she peeks over to see him frowning into the distance.

Lucy wasn't even sure if he was talking to her or not.

Cautiously, she reaches out and places her hand over his, giving it a little squeeze. "You were just going your best."

He chuckles humorlessly at her words and then shakes his head. "You don't even know what I'm talking about and your saying that I'm doing me best?"

"You were trying to keep your family safe by pushing away – I don't know why you're so scared of a girl," she offers a tiny smile. "But I can understand at least a little why you did it now."

Natsu sighs, before shifting in his spot against the tree, the guilt in his eyes still shining. "Yeah, but what I did instead was almost get you hit by a truck."

Lucy shivers at that, but softly says; "That wasn't all your fault. I should have been more careful-"

"Stop," the boy says. "We both know whose really at fault here...ever since I've met you, all I've been trying to do is keep you out of all this." He sounds annoyed and tired as he says this and Lucy looks away from him, pulling her knees to her chest to hug them.

They stay like that for what seems like forever and Lucy's mind keeps replaying the last few hours of her life.

"Natsu...what are you?"

She hears him inhale sharply at her question, before sighing out.

"...That's a little hard to explain."

Lucy sighs against the jeans covering her knees, before tilting her head to look at him. "At least try."

In the darkness, his eyes shine with a tired light as he stares back at her – unsure and resisting, but defeated.

"...Why don't you take a guess as to what Lisanna and I are?" is what he finally says and Lucy huffs softly at the suggestion, her breath a little visible in the cold, night air.

"Am I supposed to guess vampire now?"

To her amusement, Natsu's nose wrinkles a bit at her guess as he looks at her curiously.

"Tell me you're joking?" Lucy shrugs.

"You glow," she says with a small smile, as if it would clear things up for him. When it doesn't, she smiles brighter and adds; "It's kinda close to sparkling."

The pink-haired being scoffs, but he seems much more relaxes as he leans back against the tree trunk and keeps looking down at her.

"I don't know if I should be offended by that or not."

Lucy smiles playfully at him, before turning more serious again and focusing back at the big question. "Okay, so, since I guessed wrong, what are you then?"

Natsu doesn't answer right away and his eyes move from Lucy to the look up at the sky. When he meets her gaze again, he seems more settled, but still nervous. "...do you think Earth is the only planet that can sustain life?"

Lucy blinks at the question and lifts her head to look up at the starry sky too. "I never really thought about it," she admits, watching the twinkling lights above them. "...I don't think so."

"Why?"

Lucy shrugs again, shoulders rising and dropping heavily as she examines the sky above. "Because there are infinitive possibilities in the universe. So why not life on other planets?"

"...And I'm living proof of your hypothesis."

Lucy blinks once – then twice – before dropping her eyes back to Natsu. His own, darker eyes are carefully calm and Lucy feels her breath catch when she repeats his words in her head.

"Wait…you're an  _alien_?"

One. Two. Three beats later and Natsu smiles at her, an amused one and also maybe even a little bit of relief still clinging along with it.

"You seem so shocked by this realization."

Lucy continues to gape at him, before blushing furiously at the amused stare and then quickly turns her eyes away from him. "Yeah, well. It's not like you look like one!"

Natsu only seems to grow more amused by her outburst, if the chuckle he makes then is any indication. "Okay, smarty-pants, what exactly is your definition of an alien?"

"I don't know...green skin and big eyes?" she mutters, still not willing to look back at him. 'I definitely didn't think they could be so gorgeous either.'

The world falls unbearably quiet then and it takes a moment for the blonde girl to realize that she hadn't just thought that last thing, but had spoken it out loud.

She feels her face heat up tenfold automatically and makes the mistake of peering back at Natsu. He seems shocked at her words too, until slowly, his infamous smirk forms on his lips.

"What did you say, kitten?"

Lucy suddenly wishes that that truck had actually run over her.

"Nothing!" she squeaks to her further humiliation, but it's too late. She's already doomed.

"Did you just admit to finding me attractive?"

Rolling her eyes so hard it leaves her slightly dizzy afterwards, Lucy breaths in and out, before forcing herself to meet Natsu's stupidly, sexy smirk with what she hopes to be a casual glare.

"It's not like I'm blind – I meant it factually. All the girls in town think that way."

That smolder of his turns into a triumphant grin as Natsu arches a single pink brow at her. Lucy silently wonders if she could find a good hole nearby to crawl into – she could just hope that her aunt or Lisanna would come by to bring her food every few days.

"Yeah," Natsu hums, smugly. "But I didn't expect  _you_  to admit something like that."

Unable to take it anymore, Lucy turns away from him with a "hmpf!"

"Well, I like proving people wrong," she mutters to a random stone near her feet.

Natsu laughs, an easy sound and Lucy peeps back at the boy just to catch a glimpse of the natural side of him again. It's been a long time since she'd seen it. His face is relaxed and his eyes no longer have that hardened, distant look to them – not even any trace of grief or pain. He just seems content and it warms her.

"Well, mission accomplished, you definitely know how to keep me on my toes." His eyes focus on her again and for a while, he just stares. He stares until she starts feeling a bit self-conscious under his gaze.

Lucy's cheeks feel permanently darkened under his unwavering stare and she forces her eyes away from the enticing eyes. "Uhm, you're staring..." she shyly says. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just wondering: what it is about me that you find attractive."

Lucy almost gets up to kick him, but instead settles for just rolling her eyes at him before going back to staring at her boots. In response, Natsu's smile grows and he then slowly reaches up for her cheek.

Lucy stills at the touch, but allows him to grasp her chin gently and tilt her head back towards him. The look in his eyes when she meets his gaze again has her breath catching in her throat.

A flicker of gold blazes brighter in his eyes at the sound of it and then he leans closer to her – Lucy feels frozen as she starts to feel his radiating heat get closer.

"Do you want to know what I find most attractive about you?"

Lucy's heart jumps to her throat at the question asked in that low, drawing voice, and threatens to break out of her chest when he leans in close enough that she gets covered with that warmth. His breath tickles her ear as he whispers into it;

"I really dig your style in pajamas."

Lucy's able to breath again at the words, and instead of feeling annoyed, she lets out a  _loud_  giggle – one that pulls a chuckle from the boy too as he leans back. The laughing beings a renewed sense of peace to them both. It was crazy how natural it felt to laugh with him – like it was the norm for them.

And as she really wants to revel in this feeling...a dark cloud starts to form in her mind.

Because it's not normal. None of this is normal, especially since….

That's when the memory of that horrible night at the library when she had been attacked comes flooding back to her.

"That's how you saved me at the library!" Lucy gasps, eyes widening up at the boy as she lets it truly sink in. "I saw you – I mean the other form of you!"

Natsu nods at this, keeping his eyes on her calmly. "That's right."

Lucy struggles for words as she stares at him in wonder. He had risked showing himself – to save her. "Thank you."

Natsu scoffs, before frowning. "Don't say that. I only protected you because I had to."

"What do you mean?"

The pink-haired boy looks away now, his frown still deep. "I wasn't going to let some psychopath kill you." He sounds personally insulted that the man had even tried and Lucy smiles at the rare shy display.

"That doesn't make you less amazing."

Natsu sighs at her grateful tone and looks at her. "No, what it means is that you're a bad luck magnet," he frowns down at himself as the flames in his eyes dampen. "And do you know when all of this bad luck started happening?"

There's a small amount of bitterness to his words and Lucy feels the smile fade from her face. She knows where this is going.

"When I met you?"

"Bingo,'' he nods and Lucy sighs.

'Not the way you think.'

"Natsu...I didn't mean that..."

Natsu shakes his head, before looking down and Lucy follows to see him drawing small shapes in the dirt. Mindless doodles of stars, as if the act could take the edge off of the darkness that haunts him.

His words seem distant and low when he speaks again, keeping his eyes on the dirt. "Lis and I were doing so well until you moved in." He sighs, his hand pausing in his work. "So well, until you and your spitfire personality and good heart moved in next door."

Lucy bites her lip at the confession and Natsu pauses for a second, before meeting her eyes again, honesty shining in his darker – and at the same time, brighter ones.

"I hated you," he says softly and Lucy feels her chest clench at the words. "I hated you because you were so good and so kind and so damn curious."

"Like a kitten," Lucy finds herself whispering and Natsu smiles small-y at her.

He chuckles softly then, eyes seeming to sparkles with delight at her little finding. "Yeah, like a stupid, fluffy kitten."

Lucy frowns unimpressed at him. "I'm not stupid."

Natsu grins wider. "No, you're not stupid, but you are annoyingly adorable."

The dumb, half-compliment embarrassingly has Lucy smiling again. True to the nickname, though, she feels the pull of curiosity begin again as she continues to stare at him.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

Lucy hesitates and almost shrinks back to her knees, but the calm, open look in the boy's eyes encourage her to keep going.

"Can...can you show me what you really look like?"

Natsu blinks confused at the request. "But...you've already seen what I look like."

Lucy blushes, but keeps his gaze with new determination. "Yeah, but I didn't really  _see_  you. At the library it happened almost like a dream, you know?"

"And now?" Natsu's brow lifts unconvinced.

Lucy gives him an  _are you kidding me look_ , before saying; "I was freaking the heck out about a truck nearly turning me into road pizza."

It makes him grimace. "Okay, fair point."

To her surprise, he doesn't put up much more of a fight and watches with baited breath as Natsu stands up and takes a few steps away from her, before turning to look back at her.

He doesn't say anything, but Lucy can see the nervous glint in his eyes, so she gives an encouraging smile.

He regards her for a moment longer, before sighing.

Then she watches his eyes flutter closed. Once they do, the air around them begins to hum. A song, a beautiful, haunting melody starts to sing and then more light begins to glow within Natsu's chest.

It was mesmerizing to watch.

Like a living star, the light suddenly bursts into a flame in his chest and begins to pulse until it halos into a burning flame that engulfs his entire body.

Lucy has no choice but to shield her eyes with a trembling hand as the woods around her light up, Night turning into day. It happens so fast that is shocks her!

"Natsu!"

"It's okay, Lucy. I'm fine – you're fine."

Slowly, the blonde lowers her hand to see that beautiful being looking back at her.

The flames seemed to dance over his skin as he stands there, completely unhurt. It mingled with his hair, making the strands burn a swirling darker, crimson color. His eyes were made of two burning stars again too. More intense then she'd ever seen them, even without the pupils….somehow she could still see his emotions there.

He was beautiful.

"This...is what I look like," Natsu says slowly, keeping his eyes glued to her – like he was worried she might run away. "Lisanna and I, we are special beings that can bend light, sometimes morph it into other elements."

Lucy feels like a moth drawn to a flame as she stares at him, barely hearing his low words. Her eyes follows the twists and swirls of the blaring flames and she feels herself take an unsure step towards him.

"Lucy-"

"May I touch you?" She whispers and her eyes widen at the sound of her own voice asking such a thing. "I mean- I-"

Natsu smiles softly at her – a look that doesn't help her relax at all – and then opens his arms, a silent invitation for her to do as she pleased.

Lucy is already chickening out as soon as she receives permission, bu the lingering feeling of his heat from earlier on her skin urges her to find it again.

Her embarrassment fades as she watches him stare back at her with that warm smile and Lucy feels the last bit of hesitation disappear.

Before she can change her mind, Lucy stands up, and with quick steps, closes the distance between her and him and embraces him.

Fire dances from his skin over to hers, as light hums throughout her soul at the contact.

It didn't hurt – at all.

It just felt –

"How does it feel, Lucy?" Natsu asks, his voice is slightly strained, but also soft and Lucy smiles into his chest.

"Warm."

It just felt warm.

At her words, Natsu seems to relax and after a small moment, wraps his arms around her, Lucy tightening her own hold when he does.

They stay like that for forever...or maybe just a couple minutes, but it still felt like forever. Lucy's smile doesn't fade even when the embarrassment that comes with just out right hugging your cocky neighbor appears. Above her, Natsu makes a humming sound and Lucy smiles brighter against him.

"Do you want to know something, Natsu?"

At her question, Natsu pulls back – to her disappointment – but he still graciously keeps their bodies close and gives her a confused look. "What?"

Lucy's smile turns cheeky, which only makes him more confused, before she says; "This is actually much better than a vampire."

To her delight, and surprise, Natsu's flames turn a bit warmer as he looks sheepishly to the side, away from her brown eyes.

"Don't say stupid things like that."

"Aw, don't be embarrassed!" Lucy laughs amusingly up at him, lost in his warmth and presence. She felt like she was at peace, like they were the only two people in the world and nothing haunted them.

Her giggly comment gets rewarded with an eye roll from the alien-man, before he reaches up and tucks a stray blonde strand of hair behind her ear. Lucy's eyes soften at the look he gives her as he lingers his fingers there.

"Natsu..."

She expects him to pull away – like he usually does – but instead his inflamed fingers moves to her cheek, framing it in light and warmth. She closes her eyes and leans into his touch, enjoying the feel of light coursing through her.

"This is nice," she whispers under her breath.

"Yeah..."

When she opens her eyes, she sees the storm of inner turmoil inside his own. She frowns and lowers her eyes to his chest.

"Stop," she says, her voice sharp, crisp and borders on annoyance as she looks away from his eyes. "Stop overthinking things."

Natsu falls quiet at her words, before his hand slides from her cheek to her chin. Lucy sighs as he lifts her gaze up to meet his once more.

Looking into those eyes that shine brighter than any moon, she feels her heart stop when his fingers brush over her bottom lip. He seems to be going over something in his head and Lucy's fingers dig into the material of his shirt...but just as they come, the fingers leave her.

Suddenly he's pulling away again and Lucy's fingers cling a little more to him, but she quickly releases her hold when she realizes what she's doing.

Natsu smiles down at her, before totally pulling away and then taking a step backwards. Even with the lit up forest, coldness surrounds Lucy as soon as he does and then that aching cold settles in her stomach too when the fire around him begins to dim.

Then something else, much worse than the cold washes over her as she stares at him.

'He's going to wake up tomorrow and pretend that all of this didn't happen.'

She's seen it in his eyes when he hesitated. He's going to overthink. He was going to regret all of this: Exposing himself, letting her in.

Still, she desperately hoped he wouldn't. She didn't want to go back to how things were between them hours ago.

Natsu's silent as he allows the fire to seep back into him, and with a small nod, the fire and light completely dim out, until he's a  _'human'_  once more. A cold chill passes through the forest as Natsu glances up at the sky.

"It's getting late...but there's still something I want to tell you."

Lucy shifts from one foot to the other as a creeping weariness of a long night begins to settle in.

"I sill need to tell you something."

Natsu's words seems darker now without the vibrant glow of Natsu's inner flame and Lucy can't see his face as well anymore without the help of his light.

"What is it?"

Natsu's frame shifts and she sees him tilt his head up to look up at the sky. Some of the moonlight peeks out from between the scatter of trees he's standing under and illuminates his face.

"It's more like a story, actually."

"Is it another one of your romantic legends?" she tries to ease her nerves with the tease.

Natsu looks at her again and the blonde can only make out the worried look in his dark and golden eyes. There's a brief pause while the gears in her head start turning.

"...it's your story, isn't it?" She hears him sigh at her words and then sees him moves again, this time, taking a few steps towards her.

"It's getting late," he says softly, though it echos in the quiet forest. "We should start walking back."

Lucy frowns at the dodge of her question. "But what about your story?" It was far too late to start holding things back from her. She can practically imagine the tired look on his face when she frowns at her boots.

"I don't want your aunt to wake up and worry about you," is his reply and Lucy crosses her arms stubbornly.

"I think we have time."

"Do you even know what time it is?"

She opens her mouth to respond, but closes it when she can't answer the question. Instead, she frowns at him again.

Natsu huffs at the pout and runs a hand through his messy hair. "Come on, kitten. I'll tell it to you as we walk." There's a reluctance to his voice, as if he knows he has to tell her his story...but he's still nervous about being vulnerable to the truth.

She softens at the tone just a smidge.

Opening up to others has to be hard for him, especially since he's used to being so closed off. She wants to make it easier, the way she tries for Lisanna. It usually helped the silver-haired girl out, so...maybe…

Walking up to him, Lucy offers an encouraging smile as he eyes her wearily. She giggles at the suspicious look she gets afterwards – like he's expecting her to pull something.

"Relax, Natsu..." her eyes fall to one of his hands and she smiles small. "If you're nervous about opening up, maybe this'll help?" She ignores the blush that warms her cheeks when she entwines their fingers.

"Hand-holding? Really, kitten?" Natsu's words are softer then before and Lucy looks up to him, and is pleasantly surprised to see the dust of pink over his cheeks, just barely visible in the selected moonlight.

She gives his hand a squeeze, his own nerves making her feel more confident. "Hey, don't knock hand-holding. It's a scientific fact that it's how people connect with each other."

Natsu scoffs and turns his head fully away from her. "Scientific, huh?"

Lucy bites her bottom lip at the display. It was so cute – a blushy and embarrassed Natsu!

"Yip," the words pop as she says them. "And anyway, it's not like you can say anything. You were the one that started it."

That gets the pink-head to look down at her again.

"Me?"

"Think about how many times you've held out your hand to me. This...is repaying the favor." she shrugs small-y at the last part, before looking down at their joined hands. She can't stop the smile that forms on her lips when she feels and sees his larger fingers squeeze her own, smaller ones.

"You know I only did that to try and make you feel more comfortable."

"Exactly," the blonde says, looking back up at him, smiling brighter when his embarrassed eyes are staring down at her. "And that's what I want to do with you."

Natsu's brows furrow as he looks at her and Lucy thinks he's trying to get a good read of her, before he shakes his head.

"Why are doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Why are you even still bothering with me?" Natsu sighs. "Most people would have run like hell after what you saw….and they definitely wouldn't have put up with me, not after..."

He trails off and Lucy doesn't have to guess what he's referring to; a few hours ago, she was so set on hating him. His words had been so hurtful. She had felt so betrayed and had been so confused, but she understood now the main reason he kept her at a distance. He must have been worried she would find out about what he and Lisanna were – and going on movies and books, humans didn't react well to the weird.

"I understand loneliness, Natsu, and you and Lisanna...you do too. How could I abandon you after I've seen that?"

"I was awful to you…I made you cry," he frowns then. "I have no right to your help."

Lucy's smile slips at the words, her eyes narrowing down to their hands again. With a small sigh, Lucy shrugs. "Maybe it's because now I'm starting to understand why you did what you did – I wish you hadn't done it, but...I'm trying to understand you."

"...you're really something, kitten."

Lucy smiles up at him then, slowly and reassuringly into the dark, fire-y eyes. Not only for him, but for herself as well.

"Come on, don't you have a story to tell me?"

* * *

"The story I'm about to tell you is going to sound impossible, but it's not."

Natsu says this after a few minutes of silent walking. Lucy hadn't pushed him again, trusting he would start the story when he was ready.

"After everything I've seen, I don't think impossible is part of my vocabulary anymore," Lucy says back.

Natsu chuckles as he runs his free hand through his hair, artfully disheveling all the more. Lucy tries not to remember how soft the pink strands were.

"So, out of curiosity," Natsu starts, looking down at her in the corner of his eye. "Where do you think Lisanna and I come from?"

Lucy laughs, before meeting his stare with a raised brow. "Where do _I_ think? I thought this was supposed to be a story, not a guessing game."

She feels him squeeze her hand at her laugh and Lucy's heart flips at how natural it feels.

"Come on, kitten. Humor me," he urges. "Let me see what's going on in that blonde head of yours."

Lucy gives in at the plea, her shoulders slumping as they walk. "I don't know...the sun. Maybe?" Natsu gives her a weird look. "What?" she says defensively. "You're made of fire!"

"Hhm."

"You know it's not really fair to ask me that anyway!" the blonde flushes. "I mean, compared to you, my knowledge of the universe is like a drop of water in an ocean."

Her words have the boy laughing again and she watches as he shakes his head in defeat. "Okay, well. Where I'm from is beyond what humans call, the Abell."

Lucy blinks. "The Abell?"

Natsu nods, before looking straight again to continue leading the way. "It's the farthest possible galaxy from the milky way, and it's tons of billions of light years from here."

Lucy stops walking, in shock at the news, her arm that he's still holding stretches out as Natsu takes another step, before stopping too and looks at her. A second flies by as she repeats his words in her head and her eyes widen more.

"And you're beyond that!?"

She had figured he was from another planet,  _of cause_. The whole alien thing kinda called for that, but up until now, she never actually realized just how far away from home he was!

"Yup," Natsu says easily. "Lis and I are from far beyond the human imagination."

Lucy's mouth opens the tiniest bit, but can only nod to show she's still listening.

'Tons of billions of light years away...'

Natsu gently tugs at her hand and Lucy allows herself to be pulled back into step with him, her mouth still slightly agape.

"...What was the name of your home planet?"

'Home planet. Yip, weirdest conversation ever.' If she hadn't seen him transform, she would have thought he was crazy.

Natsu shakes his head at her question, the limbs of the trees cloaking half of his face in shadow.  _As if_  he needed to look more mysterious.

"It doesn't matter," he says softly. "My home was destroyed when Lisanna and I were just kids."

Lucy's head pops up to him. "Natsu..." He doesn't meet her eyes.

"That's why we're here; we're refugees in search of sanctuary."

Lucy frowns softly at him. "So you wound up coming to Earth." She says it more to herself, but sees him nod in answer. She couldn't imagine what that could be like, having to leave everything you know behind – your way of life, just to come to a place that you have to hide your true self.

That you have to live in fear that others would find out what you are.

"Do you...do you like it here?"

The shadows that cling to him seem to grow and his lips twist into a tight frown. "It's a place to live."

Lucy struggles to find words then. She wants to make him feel better, but knows that whatever she says won't heal the pain that he must have experienced. Instead, she squeezes his hand again and allows the silence to sound around them for a little while, before she speaks again.

"Is there...is there anyway..." she whispers, eyes trained to the ground as they walk. The question forms in her mind, but dies on her tongue. How was she supposed to ask it without being crass or insensitive?

There's another silence before Natsu stops walking again, and the darkness seems to completely eclipse him.

"Is there anyway, what?"

Lucy bites her lip unsurely, before looking up at him, her brown eyes wide and honestly. "Anyway I can help you?"

Natsu softens at her small question and a half smile forms on his lips, but there's still a shine of sadness in his eyes.

"Thanks, kitten, but it's hard to feel at home on a planet that you're practically chained to."

"But-"

Natsu shakes his head to stop her from talking and then pulls her along again. "Let's keep going. This story is a long one and we need to make it back before your aunt wakes up." He peers down at her again, before looking away. "And, uh, by the way, kinda off topic, but I'd prefer it if you didn't call me an alien."

Lucy blinks at the request. "Oh, yeah, I guess it is kinda weird..." she frowns, before looking at him. "But then what can I call you? I mean human isn't, well you know."

"There's no way for me to give an exact translation for my kind's original name," Natsu says and looks away.

"Oh."

"...though we've taken on the name,  _Luxen_."

Lucy's gapes at the name. "Luxen?"

Natsu shrugs. "It's not the best term, but yeah. My kind would rather be called that than alien."

Lucy hums in understanding, before whispering the name a couple of times to see how it feels. "I don't know," she says after her fourth try. "It's not that bad. It's kind of..."

"Kind of?"

"Beautiful," the blonde smiles up at him. "And it kinda fits too. Lux is the Latin word for light, right? Where there's fire, there's light."

"Maybe," Natsu says with no real interest. "Could be why they decided to call us that when we got here. We came here in a meteorite shower fifteen years ago with others like us."

"Were you guys the first to come here?"

"No, the Luxen have been coming to this planet for a thousand years. We settled here because of convenience. The atmosphere here is comparable to our home planet."

Lucy nods at that, her head starting to ache with all the things she's learned today. Her brain didn't seem to care though, when another thought pops into her head.

"Are there anymore of you in the town?"

Natsu hesitates once more, before nodding slowly. "...Yeah. The Redfox's. Juvia, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue. They're all like me, as well as Cana and Laxus – I heard you met him in school."

Lucy's brows raise at the names. She probably should have seen it coming with how close they were to the Redfox family. That must be what Natsu and Lisanna meant when they said the Redfox's were family friends. Laxus kinda made sense – but only with how freakishly tall he was (it just wasn't normal) and the fact that he was apparently their guardian. Cana…that one surprised her. The brunette didn't seem to worry about the other humans in the cafe, the day Lucy met her. Then again, Natsu seemed too close to her for her to be a human…

"...Woah," Lucy breaths. "It...all makes sense."

"These past fifteen years, the nine..." Natsu stops himself and for a moment he doesn't speak, pausing to scowl into the dark distance. "I mean...the eight of us have been each others constant companions."

Lucy looks up at him sadly, knowing he had been thinking about Zeref, but his distant look shifts when he catches her eyes and he smiles.

"Oh, something you might be interested in is that we have powers."

"Powers?" Lucy's brows tilt.

Natsu smirks proudly down at her, obviously pleased to get a reaction out of her. "We can bend time and space."

Lucy gasps, before turning to look at him properly. "That's how you were able to stop the truck from hitting me!"

The male nods. "We can also heal, change our forms, heat things up, harness light to explode things-"

"Is their anything you can't do?" She asks a little overwhelmed when Natsu starts listing them.

He considers it for a moment, before shrugging. "Grow wings and fly."

Lucy tilts her head at the answer. "Huh," she hums. "What a shame – that would have made you so much cooler."

Natsu looks at her in surprise, be he rolls his eyes. "Sorry I'm not your ideal alien."

Lucy laughs and this time, she's the one to pull him along the path. "Whatever...uh, what do you mean you can change your forms? Is it just into that fire form?"

"Technically, that is my natural form," he corrects. "The human form is what I take on."

"Do you have a human-like form back home too?"

"No. We just stay in our natural states, but when we got here, we looked around and sort of...picked and crafted our own skin in a way."

Lucy's eyes drew back to him, her brows raised. "So this isn't your real body?"

"It's got most of my attributes. Most of us don't stray too far from our original features, we just...tone it down."

"As in; get rid of the flames?" Lucy smirks up at him and the pink-haired boy returns it.

"Among other things," he says, before looking straight again. He's quiet for a short moment as he thinks of what to say next, before he speaks again. "We age at the same rate as humans too, and the more we age, the more permanent our skin becomes."

"So you  _can't_ change it?"

Her question has him regarding her with that cocky smirk again, a pink brow raised. "You don't approve of my skin, kitten?"

Lucy rolls her eyes at the look and makes sure he sees it, before she turns away from him. "Nevermind."

Natsu only chuckles at her annoyed look, making the blonde huff angrily.

Seconds pass as they continue down the unfamiliar path, but Lucy trusted him to lead them home. He seemed sure of his steps, so she didn't ask any question involving directions.

It was bizarre how things had taken a turn tonight. So many of her questions were starting to be answered, but Lucy still felt so unsure of everything. She couldn't help but feel like there was more to his story….but at least now she wasn't completely out of the loop.

"...You know, this whole time I've known you and Lisanna, I kept thinking I was going crazy," she says softly, her eyes downcast as she stares at the ground, but not really seeing it.

"...I'm sorry I kept gaslighting you about this whole thing," she hears Natsu say back after a second. Then he sighs. "It's just, we had to protect our identities, you know?"

Lucy nods, because she does know. She does understand that part.

"I get it, but...I'm not so sure I'm not entirely sane just yet," she whispers more to herself than to him, before blinking awake and looking up at him. "I mean, a normal person would be freaking out, right?"

"You are kinda weird," Natsu agrees and Lucy nudges him with her elbow at the remark, drawing a grunt from the tall boy.

"Oh, don't worry," she rolls her eyes. "I'll have plenty of time to have a nervous breakdown later. I don't think it's all really sunk in yet."

He grunts again and that's the end of that subject and they just keep walking.

"Hey, does anyone else know about you guys?" Lucy hums when the thought pops into her mind. It was possible that she wasn't the only one that knew in the town.

"A couple of locals have some ideas of there being aliens around these parts, but they're just written off as crazy," Natsu says with a tone of indifference. He didn't sound too worried about them. "there's nobody that actually knows about about us, though….actually, the reason a lot of Luxen live here is because-"

Natsu catches himself before shaking his head.

"Either way, when we have the occasional slip up, things go really bad," he looks down sides ways at her. "Which is why I tried so hard to get rid of you. To avoid slipping up."

Lucy shrinks into her coat at the words, not meeting his eyes. "How bad?"

Natsu doesn't answer immediately and curiosity – and a bit of worry – creep up on Lucy, making her peep up at him. He looks uneasy again, his jaw clenched as he stares out ahead.

"Is it really that bad?" Lucy whispers, not really sure if she should push him for this answer. Natsu's brows furrow at her voice and he sighs.

"Let's just say that whenever we use our powers around, or on humans, we leave a trace on them."

Lucy frowns at the words. 'Trace?' Where had she –

"And when we leave the trace, other beings can see if they've been around someone like us."

"...there's a trace on me?" the blonde voice is higher in pitch as she feels herself pale. When Natsu frowns instead of replying, she has her answer. Suddenly her head starts to pound. "Is...is that why Mr Dreyar and Juvia hate me so much? Because I have a trace and it puts them in danger?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Natsu says lowly, his hand squeezing hers just as she swallows hard. "The instant they saw your trace, they knew I'd messed up."

"But – I, I haven't seen anything –"

The hand wrapped around hers squeezes again and Lucy's lets out a small breath.

"Humans can't see the trace," comes Natsu's soft voice. "But it's pretty obvious for other beings."

Her heart clenches at finally understanding. At least now she knew why so many of Natsu's friends instantly hated her guts. Of cause they'd be against her when she threatened everything they've built-

"I'm so sorry," she whispers then. "I didn't mean to ruin your life."

Beside her, Natsu makes an annoyed sound and Lucy bites her lip.

"You ruined my life?" he sounds insulted by the thought. " _Hardly_. I'm the one who ruined yours, kitten. Not counting some crazy locals, the government also knows about us – though they know the truth."

Lucy's eyes widen at that and she peers up at him in shock. "Do you mean-"

"If you're wondering about Area 51, it's not a real place," he shuts her down and Lucy's brows furrow confusingly.

"Then how?"

"Many governments have known about the Luxen for some time now," Natsu shrugs. "They even monitor us on an almost daily basis."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asks, before grimacing. "Like hidden cameras?"

"Thank fuck, no," Natsu huffs. "Though it might as well be. The Luxen that come to Earth, strike a deal with the government so that they can live here. As long as we follow the Department of Defense's rules, they provide us with all the basics; food, money, housing. Whatever we need, they provide."

Lucy offers a small smile up at him. "Sounds cushy. At least you don't have to worry about rent."

"Yeah, but whenever one of us goes power crazy, it's nothing but bad news," Natsu scoffs.

"...So why did you do it then?"

"Do what?"

"Use your powers to save me?"

She asks it so softly, but Natsu still hears it in the quiet forest, the boy glancing down at her again with confused eyes. Lucy sighs.

"That's how I got the trace on me, right? That night you saved me from that guy at the library?" she says with a small voice. "You were in your natural form, so you must have used your powers, right?"

"...yeah," he confirms and the blonde bites her lips again. "But by then you already had a trace on you. I just ended up making it stronger."

Lucy releases her lip to look up at him in surprise. "But then how did I-"

"Remember the bear?" Natsu asks. "...and the lightning you saw?"

A small glint of realization flashes in her eyes. "...that was you..."

The pink-head nods once.

"I don't get it," Lucy frowns. "If using your powers causes so much trouble for you, why ever use them?"

There's hesitance before Natsu just shrugs. "I had to save you….and using our powers for those sorts of things is just second nature, I guess. I didn't think."

Lucy isn't all that satisfied with his answer and only feels more guilty. Natsu seems to sense it and she feels him give her hand another squeeze.

"Anyway," he voices. "We're almost home, so stop being such a distraction, kitten."

Lucy pouts. "Hmp, thanks for the compliment."

"...how do you know it was meant to be a compliment?"

Lucy almost kicks him.

* * *

It doesn't take much longer until they the wall of trees that surround their two houses. From the edge of the woods, Lucy can see the dark frame of Natsu's house and near it, Natsu's red bakkie...but Lisanna's car was still missing.

Lisanna wasn't back yet.

Lucy couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing. Would Lisanna be upset that she now knew their secret? She didn't think so, but she did know something; at least there really wouldn't be anymore secrets between them.

"You okay?" Natsu asked beside her, the blonde jolting slightly at the voice, before relaxing. "Uh, yes, it's just," she looked back in the direction of their houses. "I was just thinking about Lisanna."

Natsu makes an understanding sound, before saying a bit softer; "She's worried about us."

Lucy side-eyes him curiously. "In general, or…?" Natsu shakes his head.

"When the truck nearly ran you over and I stopped it, she sensed everything, I'm sure," was his unhappy reply and the blonde girl blinks in surprise.

"Oh."

That's all she can think to say as they stand side by side, looking towards their respected houses. Neither person makes a move to leave the woods either and Lucy gets the feeling that neither of them is in any rush to go inside.

What would it be like tomorrow? Tomorrow, when all this bizarre stuff has fully sunk in and she can't be charmed by the mystical atmosphere of the moon. When she has to face the normal world, only she'll know it's not what it really seems.

She knows Natsu had saved her – exposing himself willingly (or by no other choice) to her – but….

Did he even want her to know. No, she knew he didn't. Why bother trying so hard to keep it from her if he wanted her to know all along?

Now that she did know….would he….

Brown eyes leave the view ahead to peep up at the boy next to her, before fluttering back to the houses again. Lucy bites her lip as an unpleasant thought takes over her mind.

"Hey, Natsu?" He hums lowly as answer and Lucy peers back at him again. "You have a lot of powers...are any of them, well," she laughed uncertenly at herself, feeling his eyes on her.

"What about my powers?"

Lucy bite her lip, before sighing. "What I'm trying to ask is...will you erase my mind tonight?" She sees his eyes widen in surprise and Lucy rubs at her arm. "You never wanted me to know and...if me knowing makes it more dangerous for you..."

"...it would be a lot easier," Natsu agrees and Lucy bites her lip again. "...but I can't erase people's minds, Lucy." She looks at him in surprise – admittedly feeling relief flood her senses.

She didn't want to forget – not now that she understood so much.

"Oh...that's good."

Natsu doesn't reply, returning to look back at the yard ahead and Lucy is left to stand silently next to him.

"...Natsu...are your parents really out of town?" she didn't know why she asked that question so suddenly, but she bit her tongue to keep from taking it back.

Natsu keeps his eyes on their houses, but she can see the way his jaw clenches at the question. Still, when he does answer, his voice is calm and quiet. "They died. They never made it off of our planet…it's what happened with a lot of families," at that, Natsu's tone softens just before he lets out a small breath. "Those that no one left were grouped together in smaller families – like the Redfox's."

"...they're not related?" Lucy asked softly, watching Natsu with sorry eyes. He didn't meet her, but he seemed to be more thoughtful now than despaired.

"No," the pink-head answered as he looked up at the stars again. "But they might as well be. You eventually see them as your own...i was lucky, I guess. I at least had some real family left. It just sort of ended up just being me, Lisanna and Zeref." His eyes cloud at the mention of his brother. "I lost another one anyway though."

Lucy turns to fully look at him, hand moving to rest supportingly on his shoulder. He looks away from the sky, down to Lucy's large eyes, and for a moment he regards her – but she can feel him looking through her, like he was seeing someone else. He frowned.

"I failed Zeref," Natsu whispered. "I let him die."

"Natsu..." Lucy's chest clenched at the words and once again she feels helpless. There was nothing she could say – nothing she could do to that that pain away. People had tried to tell her it wasn't her fault that her mother had passed away – and she knew in her heart that it wasn't, but, she always thought that maybe if she had helped out more… It took her years to actually be able to look in the mirror and not see her mother's face there – a reminder of what she had lost. It took time and willingness. She knew from experience that her words wouldn't be enough.

All she could do was listen and be there.

She watches as Natsu once again looks up at the sky and her hand touching his shoulder tightens in hope of reminding him that he wasn't alone. He keeps his gaze to the sky. It's like he's searching the cosmos for answers – and Lucy finally understands the gesture – why she's seen him and Lisanna do the very same thing so many times.

They were trying to see their home.

She looks up too, as if the stars would lead the way to his home. Of course, she can't see anything but the black of the night sky, the moon and the stars, but Lucy tries to imagine it: the place Natsu and Lisanna used to live, the place they once called home. She likes to think it was beautiful, like it's people.

"I will not make the same mistake with Lisanna," Natsu voices and it almost sounds like a promise that gets swept up into the wind, on it's way to the their home planet. Like he was speaking to it more than to Lucy. She sighs at her suspicions being confirmed.

'He blames himself.'

It's wrong and unfair and it has the blonde look away from the stars. Swallowing, Lucy steps up closer to the silent man and presses herself into his arm. She feels him gasp softly as she settles her head against the upper part of his arm and she sighs again, before looking back up at the sky.

She doesn't say anything, because there isn't anything to say. If she told him it wasn't his fault, he'd brush her off or change the subject. She didn't want that. She just wanted him to know she was here. Here for him and for Lisanna.

Natsu's body relaxes after a few seconds and for a while, they just stand there, pressed together and looking up at the sky.

When he eventually does speak, his voice is back to a calmer tone, but still lingering on softer, above her.

"I want you to stay with me tonight."

Lucy almost thinks she doesn't hear him right and just barely moves away from him to look at the pink-haired boy properly. "Natsu?"

"Stay with us tonight," he says, a bit clearer, and Lucy gapes at him, before swallowing.

"Is-is this about Lisanna?"

"What?"

"You want me to stay with you because you think she might be upset with what happened tonight with the truck?"

Natsu just stares at her with furrowed brows, before sighing crossing his arms. Lucy looks away at the action, feeling like she just crossed over some forbidden line again.

"It'll be safer for you to stick close to use for a while," the boy says tiredly. "When I used my powers tonight, it made the trace stronger. Listen to me, Lucy – and listen carefully: those beings I told you about? They are out there, things that will do anything to devour the power that a Luxen has."

Lucy frowns at that, remembering a similar warning she'd gotten from Lisanna. "Things?" she echoes, before looking back at him.

Natsu frowns down at himself and she suddenly feels like he's not telling her something.

"These things," Lucy urges. "What are they?" 'Why do you seem so freaked about them?'

" _There are things that go bump in the night, Lucy."_

"It's hard to explain," Natsu says. "But they're evil."

Lucy frowns at him. "That doesn't help, Natsu. You're being really vague-"

"Think of it this way, they envy what they can't have, so they seek to destroy it." Guilt pours from his voice as he looks at her. "One of them already sensed you because of the bear incident, then I made it worse at the library and I've kept an eye on you, but...after the truck," he scowls. "Others are bound to notice you know."

"But why?"

"Because, kitten. You're lit up like the fireworks on new years eve," he grunts. "I don't want you to get in trouble again." Natsu's words spur on another memory and Lucy's body turns cold.

"That man at the library," she whispers. "He kept asking where  _they_ are." She watches the way Natsu's lips tighten and Lucy suddenly feels the air get punched out of her. "He...he kept talking about a trace. He came at me – he was one of them..." her eyes widen in realization. "Natsu, the  _they_ is you."

She'd asked him before, she remembers, but he hadn't given her an answer. Now...now.

"That man was one of the beasts that hunt our kind," Natsu says lowly. "After the whole bear thing, you got the trace. Because of me, you became a target," his tone turns bitter at the confession, one she already knew, but not the things that came with it. "So I kept an eye on you – so did Lisanna, and then you were to the library and..."

"I got lucky," Lucy swallowed.

"...before, the trace was that bad, but now..." his eyes dropped and Lucy's shoulders tensed.

"When they find me, they're going to try and use me to find you, aren't they?"

Natsu swears suddenly and clouds of doubt and fear begin to dance in his eyes as he meets hers again.

"Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but..." his hands curl into first at the unfinished words, and Lucy steps closer.

"What is it?"

He searches her eyes for a long, uncertain moment, before frowning. "Lucy...you can't tell anyone about this. No matter what you see or what happens – you can't say anything to anyone – we..."

Lucy's eyes widen with the scrambled pleas, her head shaking a little as she tries to reach out to him, but doesn't actually touch. "Natsu...I would never...I won't betray you."

It would be hard not to tell her aunt about all of this – because, you know – aliens! But she hadn't thought once about outing them to the town or to anyone else. It wasn't her secret. She only found out about them by sheer coincidence – and after all the times Natsu saved her by risking his family – how could she?

Despite her honest words, Natsu doesn't relax as he continues to stare her down.

He didn't believe her.

Then again, how could she blame him for not trusting people?

Sighing, Lucy shakes her head slowly, before taking another step towards the troubled man, her voice soft and eyes as honest as possible.

"I have no reason to betray you, Natsu. Not you or Lisanna."

The pink-head smiles at her, but it looks more out of pity than anything else. "Maybe you don't have a reason right now...but  _they'll_  give you one."

Even with the creepy chill that runs up her spine, Lucy doesn't tear her eyes away from him, wanting him to understand. She cared for them – she wasn't that type of person.

"There will never be a reason for me to betray you."

"You're underestimating the enemy."

"And you're underestimating me!" Lucy says back, her hands turn into fists one either side of her as he looks away. "...I scare easily," she admits. "And the idea of someone like that man at the library coming back for me is terrifying…but I could never go against those I care about. It's not me." She sighs as she looks up at him. "I wish I could make you believe me, but I can't. I trust you when you needed me to...now I need you to trust me too. I'm not going to hurt your family."

Natsu stares at her dumbfounded, before a hint of a real smile creeps across his face. He's still seeping with nerves, but he looks like he wants to believe her. Lucy smiles back.

"Every time...every time I think I know you, you do something to just turn my world upside down," Natsu hums.

"Get used to it," the blonde's smile turns a little shy.

Natsu huffs at her words, before looking back her house.

"Go write your aunt a note to tell her you're sleeping over."

Lucy's shoulder slump as the smile slips from her face. "What? We're still doing that? Didn't I-"

"Please, Lucy," Natsu looks back at her. "I'd feel a lot better if I knew I didn't just sentence you to death tonight."

Lucy frowns at him and his words, still hesitating to follow orders. He seems to get this and shrugs.

"It's either that or I can sleep here?"

That had her make up her mind pretty quickly and Lucy was already walking to her door before he could say anymore.

"O-okay, okay! I'm going. Happy now?"

"When you're done, get dressed and come to my place. I'll have the guest room set up for you."

Lucy didn't grace him with a reply. Guess his attitude did kinda make sense now.

His stubbornness was out of this world.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the secret is officially out.
> 
> Congratulations to everyone that figured out the right answer ;D
> 
> You guys should know that at one point, somewhere in the earlier chapters, I had been thinking about changing them to vampires (because of how popular they are), but in the end, I kept it to the original story. I'm glad I did, because you don't get a lot of alien-focused plots, at least not for Fairy Tail. Hope it wasn't a let down for some of you ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Lisanna have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, so so SO sorry for taking such a long time to update. Things are really hectic with school and my finals have been moved up (and then canceled and moved again) and then work :[
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon too.
> 
> Hope you all had a fantastic holiday and Christmas ^^
> 
> Also, thanks so much for all the lovely reviews you wrote for the last chapter. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting!
> 
> Enjoy!

 

* * *

In her bedroom, Lucy makes quick work of taking off her clothes and fishing out some clean pajamas from her closet. She tries not to think about the fact that this was her first time sleeping over at the Dragneel house. Heck, Lisanna hadn't even slept over at her house yet!

And here she was, about to spend the night – not just with her best friend – but also with Natsu...

Lucy shook her head of the incoming thoughts. They would only make her more nervous than what she already was feeling.

Once dressed in a soft, pink pajama shirt and a pair of striped, purple pajama shorts, Lucy was ready to go. She had considered wearing a nightie, but the idea of walking up to Natsu in a tiny night gown (she unfortunately didn't own long ones) was too embarrassing to go through.

Inhaling deeply, Lucy takes a look of herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her with a bewilded and nervous expression. She wasn't surprised. Everything...this all seemed more like a dream than anything else. She was almost sure that she'd wake up tomorrow in her own bed and everything would be back to normal – or the type of normal she had been living.

Her neighbors were aliens! Her best friend was an alien! Natsu...he  _wasn't_ human! It all made so much sense and at the same time, it was still so unbelievable.

Her life had somehow turned into a paranormal novel!

The blonde's eyes move away from the mirror, to look out the open window, straight out at the Dragneel household. She stares for a long while, the building seeming more and more intimidating than it usually seemed, even if she knew there was nothing to fear. She forces her nerves to go down. It wasn't the idea of them being out-of-space beings that overloaded her – well okay, maybe a little – but it was also how she had been included in their world! She was one of the only humans to know about a whole other race of beings!

And she was about to sleep over at their house and on the same night she had discovered their secret.

How would Lisanna react? Would she be happy? Relieved? Lucy made a silent promise to not treat the silver-haired girl any different than how she already treated her. Nothing had changed between them. Lisanna was still her best friend. Nothing was going to change that.

With a determined smile, Lucy closes the curtains, taking the small moment to really seep in the newly formed calmness.

It felt so good to finally understand everything – even if it was something she would never have dreamed it to be. Isn't this what all girls wanted? To be part of a paranormal, romance story?

Wait –  _romance?_

Lucy's cheeks inflame at the word and shakes her head to clear the other thoughts that might follow. What was wrong with her? Natsu hadn't told her because he  _wanted_  to, but because he had no other choice! The least she could do was not let her imagination go crazy. She just wanted to take in the new world – just roll with it.

Still, she knew that everything wasn't perfect now, she wasn't ignorant. There was still the threat of these beings that Natsu was so worried about. She didn't know how to deal with that information, it still scared her. For now though, she was going to focus on right now.

And right now involved making sure Lisanna and Natsu were sure they could trust her.

* * *

She makes her way downstairs, but before Lucy can get to the front door, she pauses to run into the kitchen.

She'd almost forgotten about her aunt!

Taking the pen stuck to the fridge and jots down quick note on the pad.

" **Aqua, I'm so sorry. I know this is really last minute, but there's an emergency at the Dragneel's house. No, it's NOT a boy problem, its just a friend emergency. I've gone to sleep over and help out. Hope you understand.**

**If I don't see you tomorrow morning; have a good day at the hospital!**

**XOXO, Lucy."**

Rereading her note over, Lucy smiles contently at it.

She locks the door on her way out.

* * *

When she gets to Natsu's house, the first thing she notices is how quiet it is inside.

Natsu had left the front door open, so she hadn't bothered to knock and had just let herself inside. It felt strange being in the Dragneel living room. She had never even stepped foot in here before – in fact, the closest she had ever been to this house was when she had knocked on their door that day to ask directions. Funny how that had escalated…

"Kitten?"

Startled at the voice that breaks the silence, Lucy turns around in a quick twirl to see Natsu standing half in the shadows of the hallway. Her widened eyes take in the state he's now in almost instantly and feels her cheeks pink-en.

Natsu had apparently taken the time to dress into sleepwear as well, and was now dressed in a pair of loose-fitted pajama pants and a soft, white T-shirt. His pink hair was still messy from their walk in the night air and it fell slightly over his eyes. He looked so...cuddly. The blonde couldn't help but take in all of him – this softer version of her rude and mysterious neighbor. She was just grateful that he had decided to wear a shirt, having seen first hand the usual attire he wore when sleeping. Was it possible he was being considerate?

She must have been staring silently longer than she realized, because the pink-haired man suddenly cleared his throat. It was an almost uncomfortable sound, unsure even and it had her blink out of the small spell.

"Uhm, h-hi," Lucy shyly stutters, her brown eyes falling down to the wooden floor in her own embarrassment. Had he noticed her staring? How long had she stared? The blonde silently scolded her scattered brain for always getting her into these sort of situations!

"Hey."

Natsu's voice was low and calmer than she liked. Yet, there still seemed something different in the air between them. Was it possible he was uneasy because she knew his secret? She hoped not – it would make this little sleepover a lot more weird.

"All set?" is the next thing Natsu asks and Lucy almost jolts at the sound.

"Yes," she bites the inside of her cheek, wishing for her nerves to calm down. She had no problem talking to him on their walk. Why was it suddenly a problem now? Maybe because she was in his house – his large, intimidating house, alone.

Alone?

"Is-is Lisanna not here?" Lucy blinks, and gives a quick flick around the room for any sign for the female Dragneel sibling. She hadn't even looked to see if the girl's car was parked outside. It was pretty dark out too.

"Ah, no. She's still at the game with the others. I'll call her later to explain what happened."

"Oh," Lucy said, her shoulders slumping just a little. She'd hoped to speak to Lisanna as soon as she got here. Even if it was unlikely that Lisanna would hate her knowing their secret, Lucy still really wanted them to talk it over.

It also meant that she really was all alone in the Dragneel household. With Natsu.

Suddenly feeling bad for just barging into their house, Lucy's eyes snap back up to meet Natsu's, a look of slight panic and apology flickering in the pools of warm brown. "Sorry, the door was open, so, I-I probably should have knocked…."

Her worried state must ease his own nerves, because she sees his lips stretch into a small, amused smile. Her own mouth drops to a less-then-amused pout, which only makes him grin wider, before he tilts his heads towards the hallway behind him.

"Bedroom's upstairs. Come on."

Lucy silently and awkwardly follows after Natsu with no argument. He leads them upstairs to what she assumes is the guest bedroom.

He opens the door and gestures for her to enter first. Lucy hesitates.

"You're sending me to bed?"

Natsu barely shrugs. "Aren't you tired?"

Exhausted. But that wasn't the point.

"Yes, but shouldn't I wait up to talk with Lisanna, she might-"

"My sister can wait til tomorrow," Natsu assures and the look he gives her afterwards holds no room for arguments. "Besides, after everything tonight, you need to rest."

"But-"

"Any other questions can wait til tomorrow, Lucy. You need to sleep. Lisanna will understand."

Maybe it was the worry in his voice or the fact that she really was tired, but Lucy finds herself slowly facing defeat and in the end, nods.

Natsu's eyes soften down at her and before Lucy can think too much about that, she enters the room.

The room wasn't what she expected.

It's well-kept, but devoid of any real personality. There wasn't that much furniture inside, besides the obvious and a few extra features. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling – the candles lit up and drowning the room in a pleasantly soft, urban color thanks to the darker walls. There was only one wardrobe standing against against one wall and it looked like it had never been used. In the center of the room is a king-sized bed, the beige color of the blankets and pillows seem almost inviting and Lucy suddenly realizes just how tired she is at that moment.

Well, considering all the information she had to take in – and the fight from earlier as well as nearly getting tramped by a truck – Lucy didn't blame her body for craving sleep. She'd probably black out the moment her head touched the pillow. Her eyes took in the bed with a longing, before forcing them to satisfy her still crazed curiosity and take in the rest of the room. A simple lamp stood on the bedside table, closer to the window, whose curtains were still open….and that was it.

Besides those few items, the room was bare. Not even a small rug or carpet on the floor.

It was so unlike her own room next door, even if it was just a guest room. The only similarity was that that they were both on the same floor, so there was that extra bit of creepy to it by default – especially when some of the floorboards creaked tiredly under their footsteps as they entered further inside.

Great…

Lucy's depressed thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Natsu clearing his throat behind her and the blonde turns around to look at him.

"I changed the sheets and dusted the place up a bit," he says. Lucy can't help but notice how his hands pat unsurely at his sides, seemingly seeking something to do. It make her lips twitch upwards. "The kitchen's downstairs," he continues, not noticing the look she giving him. "I'm down the hall, and the bathroom has a night light, so…"

"Follow the light?" Lucy ends with a smile.

A small chuckle escapes his mouth at her words, before he nods.

With that, Lucy turns away from him and moves towards the bed, not wasting time in pulling back the covers. Her fingers linger on the unbelievably soft fabric and she suddenly can't wait any longer to be under them – so she climbs right in.

It's only once she's comfortably situated on top the strangely warm mattress and under the heavenly blankets that she remembers her neighbor's presence. She can feel his eyes on her and feels her cheeks blush a darker pink than before. Did she  _seriously_  have to climb into bed right in front of him? She blamed it on her fumbled state of mind.

"Exactly: follow the light," Natsu says softly, like an afterthought and it actually makes the blonde girl smile down into her lap. The small display of awkwardness from him showed that, at least, she wasn't the only one feeling oddly.

Silence settles between them again and she and Natsu eventually meet each others eyes. The pink-head seems to hover in the doorway, as if unsure whether he should leave or stay.

Lucy wants him to stay. It's an embarrassing and absurd thought and she would never admit it out loud. So instead, she lets her eyes flicker back down to her lap and kneads the ends of the blanket between her fingers – when her curiosity spikes up again and she blinks up at him again.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Has anyone else ever stayed in this room before? Humans, I mean," she adds, forcing away the weirdness at using that word to describe normal people.

"...I told you I changed the sheets," Natsu's voice held a ting of confusion and Lucy's brow cocked.

"So that's a yes?"

"No, obviously. You're the first."

"Oh..." Maybe it had been a stupid question, but she was tired after all. Was it possible she was looking for things to say so he would stay longer?

No, she wasn't that desperate.

"Why'd you ask?"

How was she supposed to know?

Lucy shrugged and after a thoughtful pause, decided to tease him.

"Maybe I just wanted to keep talking to you."

The way her heart fluttered as she said it made her voice almost come out shaky and Lucy pouted afterwards.

She watches as his tense shoulders relax suddenly and a cocky, faintly arrogant smile crossed his lips.

"What's this? Is the kitten afraid of the dark?"

His voice is teasing and much less arrogant than she expect. It felt like he understood what she was trying to do and it was nice.

Lucy rolls her eyes at the words, but doesn't bother to stop the smile on her lips as she sarcastically murmurs; "Absolutely terrified."

Natsu chuckles once more, a warmer sound as he shakes his head and arches an eyebrow. "Liar."

Maybe only slightly.

Lucy sighs tiredly and shrugs again. "Fine, you caught me," she hums out breathy. "I'm not terrified, but...I am..." she can't help but glance at the window. The dark sky seems so much more real now that she was calming down and taking it all in. All those things he had showed her – the reason she was staying with them tonight...it did scare her. "...after finding out about everything, from the fact that you're Luxen, to the fact that there are other worlds out there...worlds that men like  _that_ exist too..."

She hears the creak of the floor when Natsu takes a step closer towards her, but not any further away from the door than that. She understands it as him wanting to give her space and she doesn't know how she feels about that. She knew she wasn't scared of him. That wasn't the issue here. That man at the library – those things she had thought she'd imagined, her injuries...they were real. People like him could do that.

Natsu and Lisanna had to hide from those people.

Lucy's eyes fall back down to her lap and she hums again, a softer sound. "Never mind. I know I'm safe here – and I trust you. It's not you. I'm just a little..."

"No one's going to hurt you like that again, Lucy."

There's a promise in his voice and an undertone of self-disdain. He doesn't deserve to feel that way – despite whatever he thinks he did, yet she knows that fighting him on it won't do a thing to change his feelings and she frowns down at her hands. She didn't blame him for anything. It wasn't his fault.

Her silence seems to speak wonders, because she suddenly hears him sigh tiredly, before hearing the floor creak again as he turns towards the door again. Her head bobs up instantly and her mouth falls open to call to him or reassure him, but she doesn't need to bother. He only walks into the doorway, before looking back at her, a strange, yet not cold look trained on her. Lucy keeps the stare with hopes of him understanding her.

His black eyes soften then and after a moment, he sighs.

"Go to sleep kitten. I'll be just down the hall, so you don't have to worry about a thing."

Lucy's lips tighten, knowing that the battle was lost tonight, but accepted it gracefully for now. They were both tired.

Instead, the blonde gives a tiny nod and then offers him a thankful smile.

"Good night, Natsu."

'Thanks for saving me.'

When Natsu closes the door behind him, Lucy breaths out slowly, before sinking into the ultra soft bedding, willing it to sooth her worries. The warmth that further surrounds her tries it's hardest to aid in that request and she feels it ease her tired bones.

She doesn't let herself think of any bad thoughts now, and tries to just focus on the warmth of the sheets and blankets.

When she falls asleep, she dreams of fire and stars.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy wakes up to a bright light pushing through the windows and shining across her face.

Had she left the curtains open again?

The blonde girl groans softly into her pillow, pure self-pity evident in her voice. She tries to get back into her little dream world by burying herself deeper in the warm blankets. Its in vain though – her body and mind were fully awake now.

She suddenly hated the sun with a fury.

'Hnnngh,' Lucy's brows dip down, still refusing to open her eyes. 'I feel like I've been hit by a truck...my head is pounding...'

Mouth dry and head throbbing, she lets out another groan and then rolls over onto her back, before giving up and opening up her eyes –

Lucy jumps in surprise at the sight of Lisanna's face mere inches away from her own, the other girl following suit and flinches back as Lucy jolts up to a sitting position.

"Ah!"

Crystal blue eyes widen in alarm at the sound the blonde makes and almost at the same time, the other girl jolts back too.

"AH!" Lisanna cries too, her body almost tumbling backwards, but with grace only the Dragneel girl can muster, Lisanna regains her balance.

"Oh my gosh, Lisanna! You scared me!" Lucy breaths as she tries to get her breath to return back to normal. The pounding in her heart may take some time longer though.

Lisanna's face turns overly apologetic the instant she recovers and hears Lucy's words.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy – I didn't mean to scare you or be such a creep. It's just..." her eyes flicker over her once. "...the trace on you, it's blinding and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's all."

Lucy notices the naive sincerity in her friend's voice and sighs softly to fully relax herself, before shaking her head.

"It's okay, I just-" her eyes widen then.

Trace.

"I'm just so glad you're okay," Lisanna whispers, her brows furrowing for only a second, before relaxing into a small giggle. "And I'd be lying if I wasn't a bit interested in you – I've never seen you sleep before. You were so cute – you kept speaking gibberish."

That little bit of information had the blonde get sidetracked and she blinked in surprise. "You were watching me sleep?"

Lisanna regards her for a couple seconds seemingly confused by her question, before an embarrassed look crosses over her pale face. "Just a little."

A wobbly smile stretches over Lucy's lips at the truthful confession. Lisanna could be so weird sometimes, watching people sleep shouldn't have surprised her. "Okay, that's a little creepy," Lucy laughs.

The easy tone of her voice has Lisanna smile bashfully in reply and Lucy can only laugh some more. Lisanna still seems a little nervous though so she reaches out and gives the poor girl's hand a little squeeze.

"Relax," Lucy giggles. "Of all the weird things that's happened to me this year, you watching me sleep isn't so bad."

This makes Lisanna laugh too, a happy sound, before her eyes soften on the blonde girl. Relief and nervousness also hold there and Lucy's giggles fade.

Lisanna...there was a reason she was here. There was a reason why Lucy had spent the night.

Luxen.

"So..." Lisanna breathed out slowly and her eyes stayed on the blonde, though she seemed to be forcing herself to keep the gaze. "...you know."

To the blonde's surprise, the weighted question doesn't scare her this morning. Not like she thought it would. There seemed to be a sense of peace and calmness in the atmosphere – maybe it was because it was still early – she was sure, but she felt no forcefulness when she let her lips form a small smile.

"I know," Lucy confirmed and searched her neighbor's eyes. "...is that okay?"

Lisanna's eyes widen at the question and quickly clasps one of Lucy's hands between her own, a mixture of emotions swirling in her blue orbs – but the one that Lucy wants to focus on the most is: gratefulness.

"Yes!" Lisanna squeaks, before clamping her lips shut and her eyes drop to their hands. She seems to be struggling to find the right words and Lucy understands completely – well not  _completely_ , but admitting to your friend that you and your brother are aliens has to be a really hard mission. Lucy chooses not to speak, instead letting Lisanna work through whatever storm was brewing in her head. It takes a more seconds, but Lisanna eventually stills her frigid takes a deep breath. "I...I think we need to talk about..."

Bits and pieces from last night start re-filtering through her mind like a puzzle. She knew the overall picture, but some pieces refused to fit. Maybe it was because she was still so tired.

The tired feeling makes the blonde girl frown, a small pounding in her head making her wish she could go back to sleep.

After a giving her a quick squeeze, Lucy retracts her hand from Lisanna's, who frowns in concern.

"Lucy?"

Lucy shakes her head – a bad mood when the pounding hitches up.

"Hey, L? I can – Can I go to the bathroom first? I need some water."

Lisanna is already on her feet as the last words leave the blonde's lips. Lucy blinks up in slight surprise at the nervous motion and takes in the way her friend's brows furrow in concern.

"Oh!" Lisanna peeps, her fingers playing unsurely with the hem of her shirt. "Sure, uhm, I can grab a glass for you from downstairs –"

"It's okay – facet water is fine," Lucy insists gently. "I just…." What did she need? "I need a moment."

Lisanna hesitates as she looks down at her. "Are you sure?"

Lucy gives a small smile. "Positive. I'll be right back."

* * *

Inside the bathroom, Lisanna's personal one, Lucy takes a moment to gather herself.

Just as the door clicks closed, Lucy lets out a deep sigh and her eyes slip closed. A step backwards and then her back presses against the door. The whole world seems to grow silent.

'Wait, what-'

Just as the thought processes, every single memory from last night comes crashing down on her – she remembered as soon as she woke up – but the _understanding…_

That crashes hard.

Her eyes open widely and she fumbles forward against to the sink, her hands finding and gripping the edges.

'Aliens,' her mind yells. 'Aliens...I mean….L-Luxen – I mean...'

Suddenly the headache numbs cold and washes down over the rest of her body. She almost feints, but grounds herself by gripping tighter onto the basin.

Images of Natsu transforming into that being of fire flash through her mind – memories of how warm the flames had been of Natsu's words – the things she'd seen. Her knuckles grip tighter on the counter and brown eyes flash up to take in her bewilded face.

It almost didn't feel real.

But it was!

Her neighbors were aliens! Natsu and Lisanna – Lisanna-!

Acting more instinctively than rationally, Lucy practically pounces away from the basin, and throws the door wide open.

"Lisanna!"

The other girl was still patiently waiting outside, but at the call, Lisanna's eyes almost look as startled as Lucy's own.

"W-what's is it? Are you okay?"

"You're an alien!"

The world seems to freeze at those at those three, bizarre words.

Lisanna's face pales a shade lighter and her shoulders tense – but she doesn't run away. Instead, she looks more scared of what would happen if she did run away.

Lucy watches with baited breath as the girl bites the inside her lip, before giving the tiniest of nods.

"Yes" She sounds breathy and mostly scared, like it's the first time she's ever confessed and isn't sure if she still should. At least she keeps eye contact. "I am."

The weak words have Lucy gasping even though she already knew that fact. Last night seemed like only a few moments ago, all the things Natsu had told her kept echoing in her thoughts. It was, in a word; surreal. To hear it directly from Lisanna though...it made everything so much more real.

"...You're an alien," Lucy whispers the words again, her mouth falling agape as she continues to repeat the revelation.

Unfortunately, Lisanna seemed to take her behavior badly and the silver-haired girl's arms wrapped around herself. She was closing in on herself again and her voice is barely audible as she breathes, "You don't...you don't hate me, do you?"

That broke the spell that fell over Lucy and the girl's body froze to take in the girl more calmly. Lisanna wasn't human – but she was still a person. Even with the new information, nothing changed in Lucy's opinion of the shy girl – nor her brother. They were still Natsu and Lisanna. She just understood them a lot better now.

A pure smile took over Lucy's face as she looked back at Lisanna.

"L, why in the world would I ever be scared of my best friend?"

Lisanna inhales deeply and sharply, her crystal blue eyes first going from confusion to disbelief, and then to hope, before lighting up. And then her eyes watered and excitement took over her body.

Lucy didn't have a chance to say anymore before the lithe girl leaped towards her and en-cages her into a bone-crushing hug. She flinches at the force, but giggled happily at the same time while trying in vain to match the strength of the hug with her own arms. Lisanna was laughing too, even with the small shakes of her shoulder caused by her trying to keep the relieved sobs from escaping. Lucy just hugged her tighter, knowing that the girl was just as happy as she was right now. No more secrets.

"D-Do you really mean that?" Lisanna' hiccups over the blonde's shoulder and Lucy laughs louder. Relieved and happy tears prickle in the corner of her brown eyes for the sake of Lisanna. All the insecurities made sense now – all the hiding.

Moving her hands up to grasp the girl's shoulders, Lucy gently pushes Lisanna away just enough to give her a bright smile and laughs, "Of course! You're my L – my best friend."

"I can't believe you're actually still my friend!" Lisanna cries as she pulls Lucy into another hug, her voice overlapping with relief. Lucy blinks widely, before softening and her smile returns. She returns the hug again, squeezing tightly.

"You're an amazing person, L. I would never shun you for what you are," Lucy hums into the hug. "I'm just glad your not mad. I don't want to lose my best friend either."

Lisanna sighs, a shaky, happy sound. "As if that could ever happen!" she hiccups and Lucy laughs again.

"I'm glad."

Lisanna retracts then and just as expect – the tears were evident in those innocent eyes. "You...you've no idea how worried I've been about you though."

Lucy huffs at that, before fondly shaking her head. Right, Natsu probably would have told her filled her in on all the extra details from last night. "It was only a truck, L. It didn't even touch me. Nothing to be worried about."

"I know that now, but when I got back you were already asleep – and Natsu refused to let me wake you and then he told me w-what happened and I –" she wipes a few falling tears and laughs at herself. "It was a lot to take in. I thought I lost my best friend for good."

That had some guilt swell up in Lucy.

"I wanted to wait up for you, but..." Lucy says softly. "I should have–"

"No!" Lisanna hurries. "No, I understand. You must have been exhausted after everything you saw last night."

Lisanna sounded so sincere and understanding and it only warmed up Lucy's heart further. Alien or not – how did she manage to find such an amazing friend?

"Still..." Lucy sighs and shrugs. "I kinda hoped you would have woke me up when you got home."

"Natsu said you had to get your rest, which makes sense to me," the silver-head smiled, then a bit more guiltily. "Even though I was dying to talk to you."

It's at that moment when Lucy spots the beginnings of the dark circles under Lisanna's eyes. They were such a blaring contrast to her porcelain skin. Lisanna was still a vision of pure beauty, but right now she looked more human. She must have stayed up all night. Just worrying about her. Lucy's heart swelled at the thought. Classic Lisanna – always overthinking things.

"...But I guess I didn't have to be worried," Lisanna adds in softly. Another hiccup escapes the girl's lips and Lucy can't take it anymore, so she wraps her arms around the girl's shoulders again and tries to squeeze away her worries. Lisanna seems to need this too and follows her lead. Both girls laugh at their own emotions growing in their throats.

'This,' Lucy thinks. 'this is real friendship. There was no way she would let something as bizarre as being from different worlds take that away.'

Even with how different they were, they had one main thing in common: Loneliness.

"I'm glad your safe," Lisanna sighs and she sounds more calmly now, more like her cheery self. "Natsu and I, we'll do our best to keep you that way. Promise." After a needed moment, Lisanna pulls away and offers a big, toothy smile. "Hungry?"

As if on cue, Lucy's stomach grumbles and Lisanna giggles, before giving a nod towards the door.

"You must be starving, so come on! I'll make you breakfast."

A flash of pure excitement flashes in Lisanna's eyes and before Lucy can say anything, Lisanna disappears like lightning. In the bat of an eye, Lucy was left alone, standing in shock.

She forgot that the Luxen were able to move at that speed.

She'd have to get used to that, but if anything else, it was definitely cool!

After some quick freshening up, but still opting to stay dressed in her pj's, Lucy heads down to the kitchen where the clanging of pots and pans catches her attention. Lisanna turns around to smile at her excitedly, a purple spatchala in one hand.

"Don't worry, breakfast is on the way!" she grins. "I was digging around and I wasn't sure what you wanted for breakfast."

That's all she says and then Lucy watches, dizzy, as Lisanna blinks around the kitchen in silver blur, grabbing this and that and then another thing.

"I don't have much options considering your preferences, but uhh," Lisanna stalls for a moment and flickers her eyes over the possible options. "Eggs? Toast? Pancakes? I mean, I can also search a vegan recipe? Oh!" As if by magic, the kitchen counter is suddenly decorated with various ingredients. "What sounds good to you?"

Lucy is still blinking in wonder at the ingredients on the table.

"Uhm...how about...a veggie omelet?"

Lisanna grimaces at the choice, but is already sorting out the ingredients needed. "No problem. Me, on the other hand, I'm in the mood for some bacon!"

"I'll be sure to apologize to those poor piggies whose relative you'll possibly be having for breakfast." Lucy teased once her mind relaxed. Yip, this whole thing was going to take a lot of getting used to!

Lucy takes up a seat on one, unoccupied pace on the counter and watches silently as Lisanna grates cheese and prepares their breakfast. At one point she offers to help with something, but the silver-haired girl just waves her off. Lucy just smiles and instead gets them both a glass of orange juice, with Lisanna's directions of course.

Another blink and then Lisanna's at the stove, the sizzling sound of cooking bacon and omelet batter filling the kitchen. Lucy's brows furrow then, because even though the food is cooking, the burner isn't lit. Her mouth falls open.

"Are you using your powers to cook that!"

Lisanna looks over her shoulder with a guilty look on her face. "Yeah – don't worry though, it doesn't do anything to the taste." She turns back to finish up, a quick swipe of her spoon and then she turns back holding the pan of a perfect omelet. "We can bend light, and being able to manipulate light means I'm able to make heat too."

Lucy huffs with a smile as she takes a step closer. "Okay," she nods. "I am totally jealous now."

Lisanna laughs as she tucks a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear. "Don't be. Cooking is an art and even though I can fry things up within seconds, well..." She laughs again, sheepishly this time. "Let's this just say I've had my fair share of burnt food because I get too impatient." She looks thoughtfully down at the omelet. "Though, Natsu seems to like everything extra crispy." As she says this, Lisanna slides the perfectly cooked omelet onto a plate before setting it down in front of her. "Bon appetit!"

Lucy grins gratefully, before accepting the fork Lisanna then offers her. She doesn't hesitate for a second, before she digs into the meal and stuffs some into her mouth and savors the flavor. She just hopes she doesn't look too much like those pigs she had previously been defending. It was hard to worry too much about her appearance when the food tasted so good. It wasn't a surprise though. She was eating food that had been prepared with magic!

Okay, not magic, but it might as well be. They certainly tasted magical. Lucy could just hum appreciatively.

"L, this omelet is delicious, absolutely delicious."

Lisanna smiles bashfully at the compliment, before taking a seat next to her, dragging her own plate of bacon with her. "I'm still improving. Still got miles and miles to go..." she trails off and regards her.

Lucy's in the middle of another fork-full when she catches the thoughtful look and she raises a curious brow. "Lisanna?"

Lisanna blinks out of her state and shrugs. "I was just curious. What exactly did Natsu tell you last night?"

Oh.

Lucy swallows. "He, uhm, he told me a lot I guess."

Lisanna nods thoughtfully and pointedly pokes at one piece of bacon. "Did he...show you our true forms?"

The unexpected question causes Lucy to blush at the memory that comes with it.

"He did," she smiles down at her mostly-eaten omelet. "It was...thrilling. He – I mean your real forms are beautiful."

Lisanna smiles prettily and maybe more relieved down at her plate. Still, there's teasing in her voice when she says, "Uh-hah. Nice save."

The blush on Lucy's cheeks grow darker and she gives her friend a bewilded look, before reaching over nudging her shoulder. "Shut up," she shyly huffs, getting a sly giggle in return.

"I would show you mine too, but now's not the right time for that," Lisanna says and actually does take a bite of her breakfast now.

Lucy looks at her again and her voice goes soft. "You don't have to worry about my reaction-"

"No, it's not that," Lisanna stops her as she chews slowly. "If you can handle Natsu's, you can handle mine. But, actually the only real safe time is at night, though we try not to do that either..." a nervous look crosses over her eyes and Lucy's smile fades in understanding.

"I know about the threats, L. I already promised not to out you, you I would never, right?"

Lisanna shakes her head. "I'm not worried about that, I knew we could trust you a long time ago….but know that you know about everything," she sets down the bacon. "You probably also know why Natsu's been so...confrontational...with you-it's not just the secret we're worried about..." Lucy nods.

"I know. I think I understand Natsu now, at least a bit better," her brown eyes soften as she looks at her. "I mean with everything you've been through, I get it. You're both just tired of losing ones you love."

Lisanna smiles small as she reaches over. Her hand is warm when she takes Lucy's and squeezes it. "But you've always seen that, haven't you?" Lisanna asks.

"Seen what?"

"The good intentions we have – in the way keep our secrets. It's why you're always able to forgive Natsu, why you put up with us."

Lucy frowns at the term. "I didn't put up with you, Lisanna. I just...I like to see the better side of people. It's what my mother taught me."

"She sounds like a wonderful women."

Lucy smiles, before sighing. "I understand things so much better now, and I could never blame you or Natsu for keeping things from me, with what happened with your other brother..."

Shaking her head, Lisanna pulls her hand away from the blonde's, before she smiles again. Lucy drops the subject. Lisanna was still suffering with that loss, she understood.

"So," Lisanna says, her tone a pitch higher and Lucy knows she's trying to get back to the easier atmosphere. "I know Natsu's told you about our powers – he filled me in on most of it, but you want to know something else that's cool?"

"What?" Lucy follows her friend's lead, admittedly more than just a little interested.

"We can also see other people's life-forces, and technically, we can shape-shift."

Lucy tilts her head and grins. "Knew about the shape shift. Didn't know about the life-force thingy."

Lisanna's smile falters a bit and forms more of a pout. "Aww, but it's so cool. It's not fair how he got to tell you all the cool stuff!"

Lucy can't hold back the giggles at the sour look on her mostly perfect face.

"You can still tell me about the other things," she suggest. "I bet I've barely scratched the surface. Uhm, what do you mean by life source?"

Lisanna seems to give in, her lips curving into a smile. "It's the energy that all humans put off around them. You might now it as an aura? This energy, it changes and shifts when you're sick or when your emotions change."

Lucy's eyes widened in understanding and looked down at her own hands as if she could see the colors too. No such luck. "Whoa, so what color is my life force now?"

"Well, with the trace around you, it's hard to tell. But what I did notice is that when you talked to Natsu, it's super red."

There's that teasing in her voice again and Lucy avoids her eyes.

"Oh," Lucy cleared her throat when it came out too high. "So red, like..."

Attraction? Oh, please don't let her feelings be that obvious.

"I don't know for sure," Lisanna shrugs then and Lucy almost breaths out in relief. "It could be a number of emotions, but I'm not all that good at reading auras like Rogue."

Rogue. He's one of the Redfox's. The black-haired guy.

"So what are you best at?" Lucy asks and takes a sip of her juice.

"Shape-shifting, though it gets less effective the older we get," Lisanna smiles. "And before you ask, Natsu...Natsu's just talented at everything."

'Of course he is,' Lucy almost laughed. 'It's like he's the male lead in some YA paranormal romance novel.'

Did that make her the main character? Lucy almost chokes as she swallows the drink, her face flaming once more.

Lucy shakes away the thoughts from her head, before she does something stupid. She instead focuses on Lisanna.

"So, uhm, does the government know that you can do all this? Natsu told me that they support your people."

"No," Lisanna's states. "They know of our existence, but they don't know the extent of our powers."

"Probably for the best, I guess," Lucy hums. "What else?"

Well...I don't really know where to start." Lisanna pauses and Lucy can practically see the wheels turning in her mind. "Oh!" her eyes widen. "You remember Mr Dreyar? You're in his class, right?"

Lucy grimaces, but nods. She'd almost forgotten about him. She wondered if Natsu would tell him that she now knew about them?

"Yeah, I heard he's a Luxen too – explains a lot actually."

Lisanna looks disappointed that Lucy knew that fact too, but it was only for a single second, before her eyes flashed with happiness.

"You know our name too! That's great! How do you like it? Pretty, right?"

'It was,' Lucy had to admit. It sounded so, and not to be so on the nose but, out of this world. "It's beautiful, I love it."

Lisanna practically beams at that and then takes a sip of her orange juice. "Anyway, yes. Mr Dreyar – Laxus – he  _is_  one of us. He's also mine and Natsu's guardian, as well as the Redfox's."

That. That surprises Lucy and she straightens in her seat.

"The Redfox's too?"

"Yes, he just keeps us in line," Lisanna says and then adds a bit quieter, "keeps us safer." Lucy nods.

The room grows silent then and Lisanna seems to grow tenser.

"...Do you want to know about the Dakrum?"

By the quiver in her voice, Lucy can tell that Lisanna doesn't want to tell her and it makes her heart skip a beat. Dakrum. Why did she feel like she knew exactly who Lisanna was referring to?

It had to be the monsters she and Natsu had talked about last night. Monsters like that man that had attacked her outside the library.

Lucy hasn't answered yet and Lisanna seems to notice her state of mind, so she continues, her voice soft and careful.

"Natsu also told you what happened to our home?"

Lucy met her eyes and the sadness she saw there was more then unforgivable. "It...got destroyed." Even saying it out loud seemed wrong and selfish. "The Dakrum...I'm guessing they did it."

"They did."

Lisanna's eyes fogged up at some horrific memory Lucy suddenly wished they'd never brought up, before the silver-haired beauty shook her head and in a more composed voice said, "They're the opposite of us. Where we are made of light, they are made of darkness. The Dakrum, they envy us because of our pure power and seek to consume and destroy the Luxen." Lisanna shudders then and Lucy's eyes fall to her plate.

"It's barbaric," she breaths.

"Isn't it?" Lisanna agrees softly. "But sometimes I wonder if the Arum are just driven by a force they don't understand. Like animals."

"But you're not animals, Lisanna. It's not right."

Lisanna nods and a wistful looks falls over her face. "I'm so glad you know everything now. I'm happy I don't have to keep things from you anymore...I know it happened a long time ago, but I miss my home. My family and friends. I have Natsu, but..."

Lucy's heart shatters at Lisanna's words as feelings of her own loss bubble in her soul. She understood. To some extent, she understood.

Pushing herself off the counter, Lucy walks around to stand next to her friend and takes her hands. "I'm here too, L. It's okay."

Lisanna looks at their joined hands for a long time, before squeezing them in return. Pinprick tears linger on her lashes, tears that she quickly blinks away.

"Thank you, Lucy. Thanks for everything." Then she scoffs at herself. "It's actually crazy how you just appeared and now you know literally everything about us..." her hands squeeze again. "I just wish you hadn't been beaten up by that Dakrum."

Lucy shakes her head. "Well, thanks to your brother, I came out of it with barely any injuries. Could have been worse, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lisanna smiles, only slightly, before letting go of the others hands and takes their plates. "Anyway, as much as I'd love to tell you all my little secrets, you should probably go home. Your aunt might be worried about you."

Lucy bites her lip at that and turns to where the stairs are. "But, what about Natsu?" He was probably still asleep if her previous knowledge was on point. It was amazing to talk things out with Lisanna, but she had hoped to see Natsu this morning as well. "Shouldn't I wait to talk to him? After last night..."

Lisanna waved her off. "He'll probably only be up again this afternoon. Don't worry about it. We talked last night and I think he told you enough."

"Right..."

Lucy couldn't help but feel the rise of disappointment. Still, she would see him later. There was no point in him avoiding her now, since she knew everything. Maybe things might actually stay good between them.

"Maybe your right," Lucy sighs, before frowning. "Wait. How do we get the trace off me? Isn't it a beacon for the, uhh, Dakrum? I don't want to be a liability to you or Natsu."

Lisanna plops the dishes into the sink. "Oh, that? The trace will fade over time – now a bit longer since it's gotten stronger and all. Until then, stick with me or Natsu. Just to be safe."

"Isn't that counter-intuitive?" Lucy asks skeptically. "We don't want these guys to find you."

"But at least we can protect you this way. Don't worry, Natsu and I talked it over. One of us will always be with close to you."

"But..."

Lisanna looks back at her and smiles. A real smile and one that comforts Lucy's nerves.

"Trust us, Lucy. We'll be fine."

* * *

When Lucy gets home, she finds the note she left for Aquarius put away and then hears the sound of the shower going upstairs. At least her aunt was still here.

She wondered if she was angry with her? It was such a short notice thing.

Thinking it would be a good idea to do something nice for her aunt – and at the same time get her some brownie points, Lucy turns to the facet and begins to wash the dishes. There was a fair amount there and Lucy couldn't help but imagine how easy it would for the Dragneel to do small household chores. Yip, there was plenty to like.

By the time her aunt finishes showering and comes downstairs, Lucy is already putting away the last of the dishes.

"Lucy, you're back?" Aqua voices when she spots her niece in the kitchen. "And you washed all the dishes? Should I be worried?"

Lucy grins at her after she closes the cupboard. "No, I just felt a bit guilty just leaving for Natsu and Lisanna like that."

Aqua hums in understanding and then moves to switch on the kettle. "Don't be. I understand friend emergencies. What happened by the way, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine."

"Fine?" her aunt's brow raises. "That's it?"

Lucy's words falter and clears her throat for time. She didn't want to lie to her aunt, but it wasn't her secret to tell. Plus, she'd made a promise and she had full intent on keeping it.

"Yeah, they're having some family drama. That's all." The guilt of lying to her aunt is strong, but at least it wasn't all totally false.

"Oh, that's too bad," the older women says. "I feel bad for them. I actually never see their parents around. I never understood how their parents could just let them live on their own like that. Though they do sometimes get a visit by that Dreyar man."

"He's a family friend," Lucy nods.

"Are you going to be heading back to their house later? Check in?"

She wanted to.

"I think so," Lucy smiles, and then presses her lips together. "Maybe. Probably, I'm not really sure."

Lisanna said to keep close to them, but did that mean that she was totally welcome to enter their house whenever? Lisanna probably was okay with it, but Natsu hadn't made that fact clear. And with everything that's happened, she didn't want to overstep too far.

Aqua gives her a confused look, but one honest smile from Lucy and she seems to shrug it off.

"Well, if you are, just know that I'm going out tonight."

Lucy perks up at the sing-songy tone in her aunt's voice. "Oh? What are you up to?"

Her aunt roles her eyes playfully at her nieces teasing tone. "Relax, kid. I'm just going to grab some coffee tonight with an old friend." Even if there was no evident flush, Lucy can still see the sparkle in her aunt's eyes and she smiles wider.

"You go auntie!"

Aqua laughs as she waves her off, another eye roll directed at her then too.

* * *

The rest of the day flies by in a blur, with Lucy's thoughts drifting to the Luxen and the Dakrum.

'I wonder what it's like to shape-shift? To get to choice what you want to be seen as. I'd probably get rid of my freckles...'

Lucy rolls her eyes at her own thoughts and focuses on her book again. She turns the page she's yet to even read and tries in vain to at least read the next one.

No use. Though, when you learn that aliens really do exist and that your neighbors are part of them, it was kinda hard not to focus on anything other than that topic.

'I mean – Aliens! They can sense what I feel,' Lucy thought and then wanted to sink between the pillows and vanish forever. She was not going to lie to herself. She knew she'd had some indecent thoughts about Natsu. Oh damn, Natsu! No wonder he was always smirking at her! Could he sense how attractive he was to her?

That's it, she was never going to be able to look him in the face again. Did he purposely not tell her that little ability?

Shaking her head, Lucy forced her eyes back on the page. 'Nope! No more overthinking! Read the book, Lucy. Read the book.'

"Alright, lets see," Lucy shifted better on the couch and focused on the words printed on the page.

A couple minutes flew by and all she could sum up was that she was maybe reading through the eyes of a women….but she couldn't be sure.

A loud knock on her front door pulls the blonde out of her thoughts and she mentally thanks whoever it is on the other side. It was obvious that this activity was going nowhere.

Almost too enthusiastically, Lucy hopped off the couch and ran over to the door, expecting to see Lisanna.

When she opened the door, she finds Natsu standing on her porch instead – wearing his trademark smirk.

"I didn't actually expect you to open the door," Natsu says cockily, but there's something in his voice that sounds a bit like relief, and suddenly the previous embarrassment she'd been feeling melts away. Instead, she just felt happy to see him. Here. Knocking on her door.

He wasn't avoiding her.

Smiling up at him, Lucy shrugs small-y. "Hm. Careful, I might still close the door on you."

Natsu's eyes light up a bit at her teasing tone and he leans his arm on the doorway side. "Nah, you're too polite to do that to me, kitten."

Lucy folds her arms and boldly cocks a blonde eyebrow. "You wanna bet?"

The pink-haired man huffs amusingly at her challenge, but shakes his head. "Maybe another time. We have more important things to do right now."

The words give Lucy a worried feeling and her arms slip back to her sides as she looks back at him. "Is everything okay? Do you want to come inside?"

Was there more that he hadn't told her? Were they in trouble?

Natsu catches on to her fears and chuckles. The easy sound takes some of the blonde's worries away, but not totally. She stares at him waitingly.

"Relax, kitten. You're fine," Natsu smiles at her and the fact that he could do that so easily in front of her now, is what makes Lucy ease up completely.

"Oh," she breaths. "Then what is it?"

Natsu then takes a step backwards and tilts his head towards the forest. "You and me? We've got somewhere to go, like, right now."

Lucy ignores the way her heart stutters at the words. It also wasn't fair how perfect he looked in the sunlight. Even in his human form, he still looked stupidly gorgeous. It wasn't fair. It was even better now that he wasn't being a total tool to her.

She'd probably regret this, but….

"Where are we going?"

* * *

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy goes swimming with Natsu - again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews. Sorry that I haven't gotten a chance to reply - I'm packed up with exams :( Tomorrow I have  two exams, both 4 hours! I have myself to blame, I did choice this course...
> 
> Also, I'm sorry about the spelling mistakes. I wrote it in a rush, so there's bound to be many. I did proof read it twice - but I don't trust my eyes so much ^-^ 
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm really enjoying writing the newer ones. 
> 
> Hope you all are having a good new year! 
> 
> Enjoy!

 

* * *

Lisanna hums a little, happy tune under her breath as she walks through the town.

Today is a good day.

Last night Lucy discovered the truth about her and her brother – she found out what they were. When she had returned home from the game last night, she had already been able to sense the trace miles from the house. It was unmistakable – something had happened that caused Natsu to inflect more of the trace on the blonde girl. Needless to say, Lisanna had been frantic when she had entered the house, only calming down when Natsu had forced her to sit down and listen to him.

He told her everything.

Apparently Natsu had lured Lucy out into the woods to try and scare her off again and Lucy hadn't taken it well, running away and nearly getting hit by a truck which Natsu had stopped. To do that however, her brother had had to reveal his true self and use his powers. Lisanna didn't blame him one bit, no matter how many times he apologized. He had saved her best friend – and now Lucy knew everything. They had no more secrets.

Lisanna had been so excited and at the same time so nervous and worried that she had stayed in the guest room with Lucy all night, watching over her and making sure she was alright. She wouldn't have blamed the girl if she had woken up and been in a screaming panic. Finding out your weird neighbors were from another planet – something the humans called  _aliens_  – was not an easy thing to take in.

So when Lucy had woken up and accepted her fully, Lisanna had cried. Her heart felt like it would climb out of her throat with how touched and relieved and  _happy_  she had been. Her best friend knew what she was and was okay with it. They could be real, no-secret friends now and Lisanna was more than ready for it.

The silver-haired girl felt another fit of giddiness swell up in her and she grinned wider to the mostly quiet town. She didn't even notice how some of the older townspeople gave her dirty looks as they got into their cars or moved onto the other side of the street to avoid being close to her.

Nope, she was too over the moon to care today. She had a real, true friend and she was going to enjoy it.

She hadn't seen Lucy since this morning, wanting to give the blonde girl some personal time to really take it all in. She knew it would still be a little longer before Lucy fully understood it all. She was more than willing to answer any questions. Apparently Natsu was too, with all the things he'd already told her.

At the back of her mind, Lisanna worried about what would happen when Laxus found out. He had a similar mindset to Natsu and disapproved of them getting too close with the humans. Juvia was in the same boat and would probably also give them an earful. Lisanna couldn't blame them, she understood some of where they were coming from when it came to avoiding the humans. Zeref had been a terrible example of just how bad things could go wrong. Lisanna still refused to let herself think too much about him. It hurt too much. And Juvia had that whole incident with that Gray boy. Gajeel and Sting were on the same page as her and even had relationships with humans outside the town before. They had traveled more than she and Natsu, had known more and were braver. After Zeref's disappearance their small group of family strengthened and Natsu closed off. He didn't want to make the same mistakes, Lisanna understood that. Rogue to a shorter extent also tolerated human friendships, though he sometimes sided with Laxus's view on things, depending on the danger level.

But Lisanna didn't want to avoid the people of Earth. She wanted to make friends, live a life here where she could be happy. There wasn't many of their people left and their home was gone for good. If this was there life now, Lisanna wanted to live it.

But she could never put her family more at risk than they already were. She didn't want to worry Natsu more. But now she had Lucy. That was more than enough.

The town square was practically empty save for some random person on a small errand. A few children sped past the grocery store, the front boy holding three chocolate bars in glee as they're mother yelled at them to wait for her. An elderly couple were slowly walking on the other side of the pavement.

Lisanna watched all of them, but didn't bother saying any tiny greeting when she would make eye contact. Instead, she'd just look forward again and continue with her own errands. She was headed for the bakery near her favorite diner – the only bakery in town, but it sold the most delicious hot-crossed buns. Not that Lisanna had tasted that many in her life. She wanted to buy a few and take them over to Lucy's house as a small celebration. It was silly, but Lisanna wanted to do it. She just hoped her best friend like them. Though, honestly, who doesn't like hot-crossed buns? She'd also have to remember to put some away for Natsu. After all, if it wasn't for him, Lisanna wouldn't have anything to celebrate. If anything, Natsu seemed to be happier with the turn of events too, though she knew he would admit it. She had a feeling her brother was getting a sort of fondness for their pretty neighbor. As for Lucy, Lisanna had caught on that she felt something for Natsu too, but she doesn't want to pressure anything. It was best to let the chips fall where they may.

Lisanna giggled softly at the thought.

Maybe she should get some ice cream too?

While Lisanna tries to remember if Natsu had finished all the ice cream or not, her thoughts are interrupted by a loud barking.

Crystal, blue eyes blink widely, but she doesn't get a chance to see what it it when a large blur of brown jumps at her – knocking her down in a startled heap.

" _Ah!"_ Lisanna cries in shock just as she makes contact with the hard pavement, that heavy brown bulk on top of her. Her eyes roll back – not in pain – but just be the sheer surprise of it all. She's about to let out another hum of discomfort, when something slobbery and slimy starts licking at her cheek.

A delighted squeal escapes her lips when the enthusiastic licks keep going and Lisanna raises her hands, one to gently grasp the furry face of the animal attacking her and the other to protect her face. She doesn't push the dog off though, too much in awe of the whole incident. Plus, doggies!

"Rexy, stop!" a raspy voice yells out in slight horror. Lisanna's breath catches at the sound, not because it's possibly a human that doesn't want her touching her dog, but because she knows that voice.

Unfortunately, once Lisanna stills in shock, her arms are easily pushed away by the large dog and it continues to lick – this time slimming over her entire face.

"Oh!" the silver-head grimaces when the saliva gets smeared over her face.

" _Shit_ , I'm so sorry-" says the man and then the large hound is forcibly pulled away from the laying girl.

The brown dog whines mournfully as it gets taken away from it's new friend and Lisanna quickly wipes at her face with her sleeve.

"Oh, it's you."

Lisanna's shoulders tense at the realization in his tone and she slowly removes her arm to look un-surely up at him.

Bixlow is looking down at her with widened eyes and a slightly gaped mouth. Lisanna is sure she must look much the same.

"U-uhm,-" the silver-haired beauty starts nervously and moves to quickly stand up. Bixlow snaps out of his stunned gaze then and automatically takes a step towards her, the hand not gripping the dog's leash offered out to her.

"Uh-here," he says and Lisanna's head pops up to look at his hand, her movements momentarily paused. "Let me help you up."

Swallowing, the silver-head's eyes move up to meet his eyes again and this time is met with a smiling pair.

She hesitantly accepts the hand and is easily pulled up, her feet gracefully finding their place flat on the ground.

"You alright? Rexie is pretty heavy," the man asks, a smidge of concern in his raspy voice. Lisanna is quick to shake her head to reassure him.

"N-no! I'm fine, I don't even feel sore," she hurries to say. The whines start again and Lisanna's eyes are drawn down to the large hound wiggling in it's spot next to its owner. It's black eyes watch her with a deep yearning and it brings a wobbly smile to the girl's lips. "He's really cute," she shyly waves at the large beast, which makes it desperately struggle against Bixlow's iron grip on it's leash in an attempt to get to her. Bixlow doesn't relent though and Rexie gives a unhappy bark, tail wagging behind him, practically slapping at Bixlow's bare, lower legs.

"Aww~" Lisanna softly squeals at the big puppy and hears Bixlow laugh afterwards. She jumps slightly at the sound, before blushing and looking back at him. He's smiling directly at her – a happy grin that does strange things to her stomach, and Lisanna avoids his eyes again, instead focusing on wiping away the bits of drying saliver still on her chin.

"He really got it all over you, didn't he?" Bixlow voices guiltily and then Lisanna sees him fish out a old, purple rag from his pant's back pocket. "Here. Use this – uh – don't worry. It's clean...ish?"

The embarrassed tone that comes in a little at the last words draws out a little giggle from the shy Luxen and she bites her lip soon as the sound starts. Her eyes find his again and before she can look away, he catches her stare and holds it.

There's something relaxed and comfortable in Bixlow's eyes and the way his lips quirk up on one side in an awkward, but friendly grin have Lisanna reaching out to take the rag.

"Thank you."

He grins broader. "No problem, Lisanna."

Lisanna's eyes widen in surprise and gasp just even to be audible at the sound of his voice saying her name. He remembered. He remembered and said it so openly.

Bixlow doesn't take her small gasp all that well and a uncertain look washes over his face and he rubs a spot at the back of his neck. "That  _is_  your name, right? I was pretty sure – sorry if I got it wrong. I'm not that great at remembering those kinds of things-"

"Lisanna's right," the girl squeaks and ducks her head down soon after, toying with the rag, before using it to clean her pale skin. She can't help but peek back at him a couple times as she does this. "Thank you, this um, this works much better than my jersey."

Bixlow's arm stills from it's position behind his next, before smiling again. "Yeah, after looking after this big baby, I caught on to a few things. Thing number one – always carry something with you to wipe away the saliva. Ain't that right, girl?" he ruffles up some of the dark brown fur of the dog's face. It barks, as if it were actually agreeing.

Lisanna smiles prettily at the display, before rubbing the rest off her cheeks.

'He's wearing black eyeliner,' Lisanna notes as she discretely takes Bixlow in. She noticed it too that day in the hallway. She still liked how it brought out his eyes, so unique and pretty compared to the other human boys. It was a large contrast to the scruffy, retro style he had going on. And yet, it all made him more interesting and unique, Lisanna even found it cute. Her cheeks warmed at the slipped thought and tried to rub it away with the rag as well. Hopefully he hadn't noticed.

Curiosity soon got the better of her and the silver-haired girl's eyes flickered back for another peek, only to find Bixlow staring back at her. However, this time, he was the first one to look away, a small tint of pink visibly on his cheeks. Lisanna almost dropped the rag.

"Uh-wa, well – thank you, here," Lisanna stuttered and offered back the rag, feeling more like a complete freak than he probably already thought she was. Her eyes falling to the pavement to keep her grounded. Still, there was a little bit of hope and excitement forming in her chest, like a dim light that was steadily growing brighter. She knew it was just a fluke though and knew if she needed to go before she ruined this rare experience.

The lithe girl almost jumped back in shock when cool fingers barely traced over her to accept the rag back. They stayed there, just slightly touching hers, while also holding the patch of material. Lisanna's fingers prickled with tiny shivers at the feeling and her eyes shot back to look startled up at him. Bixlow was looking back at her, a small tilt of him lips showed he was smiling and Lisanna's breath caught in her throat. For some reason her fingers refused to let go of the material, but it didn't seem to bother Bixlow much. He seemed to be happy with just standing there.

'What is he-'

"Look mommy! There's that weird girl again!"

" _Sshh_ , Patricia, don't speak so loudly.  _Stay close to me-_ "

Lisanna's hand dropped like a bullet, letting go of the rag and at the same time, taking a large step away from him. Bixlow's blinked in confusion at the action, Lisanna looked away.

"Uhm, s-sorry for getting in your way. Thanks for the...the rag-"

She turns to walk away, to spare him the embarrassment of being seen with her in public. She had taken a chance with Lucy, a move forced by a need for a friendship. She hadn't expected it to work out, but it did and she was happy. With the townspeople though, there was so much history. They wouldn't want to try–

"You want to get some coffee?" Bixlow's voice is rushed and unsure, but it's loud and is enough to shock Lisanna to a stop.

Her eyes widen as the question and turns to look at him with a hope betrayingly beginning to fluster up.

"I-I'm sorry?"

Bixlow looks like he was ready to walk out towards her before she had turned around and when she speaks, he straightens back a bit and that free hand goes back to it's previous spot rubbing at his neck.

"Do you want to get coffee with me?" the tall, mohawk'd man asks again, this time more composed. "Or something? My treat." Beside him, Rexy is still wagging her tail happily, not understanding the situation, but eager to be let in.

Lisanna still can't wrap her head around the fact that he had just asked her to coffee and her head seems to fill with warm air. "You want to have coffee? With me?"

Rexy barks and the loud sound jerks Bixlow and Lisanna at the same time, but Lisanna more noticeably.

Bixlow seems to be better now that the awkward spell is gone and he finally gives his dog some attention by scratching her head, but his eyes stay on the still bewilded girl. He smiles, almost bashfully by her, but the cool, wild boy-look of him makes it look easy.

"Yeah, I mean this is the second time we've bumped into each other," he says and Lisanna cheeks turn rose-y. "We might as well get to know each other if the universe keeps pushing it, right?" Despite his brave words, Lisanna feels like he's still nervous about asking her. He's giving her an option to say no – something insane because it should be the other way around.

She hesitates, but something inside of her yearns to accept his offer. When would this happen again? If he asked her, he must know what it means...and he still wants to.

"Lisanna?"

Lisanna blinks and finds the tall boy looking at her with a bit of concern, masked by a tilted grin. She looks at him and her mouth opens.

She wants to.

It won't hurt.

Natsu won't be happy, but –

"Okay."

She really wants to go with him.

Bixlow grins broadly at her and even pumps up a fist, it makes her giggle before she even realizes he did it. Rexie howls out some adorable sound and Lisanna feels a new ease come over her as Bixlow chuckles at his dog while rubbing it's hairy cheeks.

"Alright!" Bixlow straightens, releasing his now overjoyed dog and walks up closer to the small girl. She meets his eyes shyly, but willingly. He grins down at her, before flicking his eyes forward then back to her. "Let's go, before you get some sense and change your mind."

Lisanna's mouth opens in a pretty, wide smile and shakes her head in a quiet laugh.

With that, Bixlow ushers them towards the diner and Lisanna finds herself feeling a different kind of giddiness bubble in her chest. She doesn't speak as they walk, leaving that all up to the talkative and loud Bixlow. He doesn't seem to mind, but does pause to get her answers – usually in a small nod or shake of her head. She was still shy and unsure, but the moment she fell into step with the retro boy, she couldn't think of leaving him.

She wouldn't tell Natsu when he got home. It wouldn't hurt anyone or be the end of anything. Gajeel hung out with humans all the time outside the town. This was just the same.

Besides, it was just coffee.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Lucy asks.

The look she gets from the tall male is a little too naughty for her nerves and the blonde eyes him warily.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smirks down at her and Lucy's brows dip along with her frown.

Natsu laughs at her reaction: a deep, throaty laugh that you can't help but roll her eyes at. Unfortunately for her, the small smile forming on her lips took away whatever annoyance she was trying to convey. Natsu laughed more.

" _Natsu_ ," the blonde pouted with another eye roll. "Are you gonna tell me, or will I be closing the door on you after all?" She couldn't help but remember the first time she met the pink-haired man and how he said something along the same lines when she had embarrassingly stared at him.

Natsu's laugh muffled at that and a myschivous glint flashes in his eyes. "Don't be like that, kitten. It's more fun to see you get all flustered."

The cockiness that only one Natsu Dragneel could muster was fully evident in that Lucy almost considered actually shutting the door in his face – just to tease him back a little. Too bad it felt so good talking so easily with him, knowing they had no secrets to cause any more drama. He was lucky today.

Lucy's smile slowly returns at that previous thought as she looks up at him. Natsu's dark eyes seem to soften then at the stare, and it makes something in the blonde's chest flutter. She forces her eyes to look down at the porch before her face can turn a telling colour.

"So where exactly  _are_ you taking me?" Lucy says after clearing her throat, hoping her voice doesn't sound too high. She sees Natsu shift in the corner of her eye and dares to look back up at him to see the pink-head glance out towards the woods.

Almost instinctively, she knows.

The lake.

"You...you have more things you want to talk about don't you?" Lucy murmurs and Natsu turns back to look at her, a more serious expression now present on his handsome features.

"Yeah," he sighs. "I do."

Had they not spoken about everything last night? That was a stupid question – of course there was bound to be more things. Natsu and Lisanna were from another world after all. There was probably loads more things Lucy was yet to learn.

Still, why did it feel like Natsu was a little nervous – or at least on edge – to tell her? Did it have something to do with the Dakrum?

A shiver runs down Lucy's spine at the possibility. She knew they were a big threat and she couldn't just ignore those monsters existed, but she didn't want to focus more on them today...but if Natsu felt they needed to, there must be a good reason.

Lucy sighs – long and deep. Her shoulders rise and fall as she does and after a brief moment - she smiles encouragingly up at him.

"In that case, I'll just go and grab a swimsuit?"

Natsu's eyes her smile for a short moment. Lucy only falters for a second until she spots the tiny upwards tilt of his lips. She smiles wider.

"Wear something pretty for me," Natsu winks at her, and it makes Lucy's mouth fall agape.

" _Natsu!_ "

The dreaded blush comes back full force and Lucy can't stand to look at him for another second. The last thing she hears before shutting the door in his face is her neighbor's deep chuckle on the other side.

* * *

Lucy didn't waste a lot of time in choosing a swimsuit.

She ended up choosing another two piece bikini. It was a stylish, white colour and both the top and bottom pieces had flow-y frills sown in. The bikini bottom basically looked like a really, really tiny skirt, but it barely covered even half of her butt. Still, Lucy loved the design and it was more modest than most bikinis. Yes, she was feeling pretty good and even, maybe a little sexy – but not slutty. That was an important distinction.

Throwing on a pale pink sundress and some matching sandals, she was satisfied.

Lucy walked over her closet mirror and admired her reflection. She really did look good. The soft fabric felt nice over her skin and the pinkish colour was one of her favorites.

_"Wear something pretty for me."_

Natsu's words echo in her head and a similar shade of pink appears over her cheeks. He had been teasing her, she knew that, but….

Her fingers smoothed over sundress and slowly trailed down to the hem, grasping gently. Looking her reflection in the eyes again, Lucy took a moment to settle her thoughts.

Could she?

It wasn't that big of a deal. She'd been to the beach in just her bikini before – though she hadn't been alone with a guy during them. But that first time Natsu took her to the lake she'd eventually ended up without her dress. She'd handled it well. It wasn't like she was overbearingly shy.

It was just that it was Natsu…

Okay, maybe she was probably overthinking her outfit for her and Natsu's little outing. She was still a girl after all.

Lucy's grip on her hem tightened at the same time her cheeks grew hotter. She was being ridiculous.

With a deep breath, Lucy lifted the hem and in one pull – took it off. Her eyes found the mirror automatically again and took in her appearance.

She had a good body: curvy and tan-ish. Her hips were a little larger and rounder than she liked, but it wasn't something she'd ever felt ashamed of before. Her chest was on the larger side too, but Lucy had come to terms with that ages ago. She felt comfortable in her skin, usually. She blamed all these current butterflies on the fact that she would be alone with Natsu – who was far too hot for his own good.

With a few gentle claps to her cheeks, Lucy gave an encouraging smile to her reflection. She could do this!

She knew she wasn't ugly. Maybe not Lisanna-beautiful, but she knew she was a looker too.

And whether she wanted to admit it out loud or not – she wanted Natsu to notice that too. That wasn't such a bad thing, right?

She just wasn't going to overthink anything else.

After pulling her hair into a high ponytail, Lucy was ready to go, only taking with two towels with her.

* * *

Outside, she sees Natsu casually leaning against her porch railing, waiting for her.

The fluttering in her chest seemed to multiply at the sight of him, knowing her state of dress. She had to ground herself into not running back inside to fetch the pink dress. With one final breather, Lucy pulls the front door closed and steps outside.

"H-Hey."

Natsu turns his attention to her and Lucy holds her breath on instinct. When his eyes fall on her, they widen.

"Whoa."

Natsu's voice is soft as he voices the word and his lips fall open slightly as he take she in. Lucy feels the blood return to her cheeks and, to her annoyance, falls to her defeat and looks down to her feet.

It's quiet for a little too long and Lucy's mind starts to overload.

'Maybe this had been a bad idea. What if he thinks I'm trying to come on to him!' Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, because the statement isn't completely false.

Wait, no! She wasn't coming on to him – or was she?

"You look nice."

The compliment is said softly and Lucy's blonde head practically bobs up to meet the man's eyes when she hears it.

Natsu meets her shocked expression with a small grin, one pink brow raises too when she doesn't reply.

"White's a good colour on you," he adds after a small pause and Lucy swears she sees a small tint of pink over his cheeks. It doesn't stop the flutters in her chest, but this time, she kinda likes the feeling.

Smiling shyly up at him, Lucy offers one of the towels.

"Here," she says and waits till Natsu accepts it. "If we're going swimming we should probably both be prepared, right?"

"Yeah," he agrees, those black eyes never leaving her. Lucy feels warm under them and just nods. "So, now that you're dressed, you ready to go, kitten?" is the next thing Natsu says and Lucy smiles thankfully for the question.

"Hmm," she nods again, before smiling a bit more playfully up at him. "I promise I'll look both ways before crossing the street this time."

* * *

In the woods, Lucy and Natsu walk in a comfortable silence.

The sunlight, filtered through the green leaves, casts an almost magical light over the two of them and Lucy basks in it with a newly found appreciation. Natsu and Lisanna's home was taken away from them – she still had hers.

And Earth definitely had it's beauties.

"So, Natsu..." Lucy says, breaking the peaceful silence of the forest. "What did you want to talk about?"

She still wasn't sure if she wanted to find out the answer to that question, but the sooner they got it out in the open, the easier things would be for them. She only hoped it wasn't as bad as she expected it to be.

Natsu keeps his gaze on the trail ahead as they walked, his steps thankfully slow and steady. "I'll tell you once we're at the lake."

"Should I be worried?"

She sneaks a peek up at his face, just in time to see a small smirk start to form on his lips.

"Feeling a little antsy, kitten?" there's humor in his voice and Lucy is grateful for it. She takes it as a good sign for later.

With an easy shrug of her shoulders, Lucy fake-whines; "Well, I still haven't figured out whether or not I'm in there clear yet." She eyes him with a small smile. "I sorta still think you might be taking me into the woods to kill me or something."

Her words surprisingly have a different affect on the pink-haired man than she expected and Natsu suddenly freezes, before slowly turning around to face her properly. When he looks at her, it's with a deep, dark intensity that she's not entirely used to.

"You really think I'd kill you?"

Lucy blinks at the question, confusion taking over for only a second, before she notices the worried look hidden in his eyes.

"I'm just teasing, Natsu," she smiles gently up at him. "I was just...trying to ease the mood a bit?"

He doesn't seem to believe at first and Lucy's smile slips.

"Natsu, I trust you," she tries again, this time more firmly. "Why would I agree to go on this walk with you – or stay over at your house if I didn't?"

Natsu softens at the words this time, before he runs a hand through his hair. The pink strands end up messier than before, some falling into his eyes. Lucy almost reaches up to stroke it away, but catches herself before she can embarrass herself.

"I'm sorry," Natsu huffs softly, more at himself then her, she notices. His brows furrow as he looks around the forest and Lucy wonders if she had been wrong about the subject being easy. "It's just," he pauses to look back at her, Lucy holds his gaze. "...do you know how many humans I've been close to?" he says and then chuckles softly. "And then suddenly you show up and blow the whole secret to smithereens. You're taking this whole thing really  _so_  well and..."

Lucy's eyes widen and watches him as he shakes his head, as if trying to sort out whatever thoughts were running wild in his head.

"Do you regret finding out the truth about us?"

Was he really worried about that? After last night, did he still…

She almost laughs out loud at the idea that he was worried about it. She thought she'd made it pretty obvious how happy she was to finally understand them better.

Lucy's eyes slip down to the towel she'd brought with her. She had wrapped it around her hips a few steps back to keep her legs safe from any scratching. As she fingers the material, a small sigh leaves her lips. "Do you want me to be completely honest, Natsu?"

There's a moment of silence, before Natsu voices, "Yeah."

Lucy can't stop her lips from stretching into a giggly grin at the unsure words. "In that case..."

Lucy doesn't think before closing the distance between them and gently reaches up to touch the sides of his face, forcing his eyes to stay on her solely. She offers a bigger smile when he flinches slightly at her sudden touch.

"In that case, what?" Natsu's brows furrow, but the glint in his eyes intensifies.

"I'm really glad I got to know the real you. I regret nothing." She shrugs with a tiny smirk. "Besides, if I didn't know the truth, I'd never know why you're such a jerk."

That does the trick and the tensing atmosphere vanishes. Natsu smiles at the small, playful jab, before he reaches up and envelopes his hands with hers. Lucy's heart flutters again at the way he leans into her touch. It's such a simple gesture but one that never used to come easy with him. It felt like he was really making an effort to let her in further.

Natsu's eyes close for a small moment as he sighs, his hands tightening a little over hers. "Even if it's hard for me to believe you, it's still nice to hear."

"Natsu..." Lucy's shoulders slump at the words and begins to withdraw her hands – but Natsu keeps them were they are.

"Tell me the truth again," he asks, his voice low and serious. "...Are you scared?"

"Natsu, I –"

She was scared. Just not of him – not him and Lisanna or what they were. She was scared of something else.

The memory of that man at the library flashes through her mind and Lucy pushes it down, because it isn't the time to think about that night. Natsu wasn't like that man. He wouldn't hurt her like that – he saved her. And yes, she was scared of getting in that situation again, but she trusted Natsu and Lisanna. Trusted when they said they would protect her...and she would try everything she could, even if it wasn't much, to do the same for them.

Looking up at Natsu's intense, black orbs, Lucy decided that lying wasn't the way to go. They'd been through enough to be honest with each other. He'd proven that.

"I am scared," Lucy whispered. "But that's okay. I'm not afraid of you. I trust you." She really did.

Natsu scoffs at her words, his eyes rolling closed in his disbelief, still, she felt some relief when he squeezed her hands.

"I don't know if I should be happy about that or not," he says and Lucy frowns. His eyes open then and she feels herself soften at the tenderness she finds in them. He doesn't say anything else and instead, just looks at her.

"Natsu-"

He shakes his head, just a small, dismissive tilt, before sighing. "...Thanks, Lucy," he breaths and the blonde holds her breath. "Just...don't get too cocky okay? Sometimes it's good to be scared of things you don't know." The feel of his touch lingers on her palms as he pulls away. She chooses not to respond to his warning.

* * *

The rest of the walk continues in silence, with Natsu leading her through the leaf-covered trails.

When they arrive at the lake, the stress in Natsu's face seems to simply melt away.

Lucy doesn't question why. This place seems to have that magical affect, even she feels lighter than before. No wonder Natsu calls this place Paradise.

The unbelievably clear, blue water shimmered underneath the sun. Even the Large rocks that stood out from the waters seemed other worldly. How was it that such a beautiful place existed in such a small, judgmental town? It made sense that Natsu and Lisanna never showed this place to the other townspeople. He wanted to keep it private. A good spot to escape.

Lucy felt happy to be apart of it all.

"This place always takes my breath away," Lucy breathed as she took in the sight before her. The sound of chirping birds sounded in the higher distance as they flew by, it only added to the calm that came with the view.

"I know what you mean," Natsu agrees beside her. "Of all the places I've been to, this is my favorite so far." Lucy hummed in response and they just watched for a while.

Natsu shifted beside her after a few minutes and Lucy looked down to see him removing his shoes. She found her eyes moving to his pink hair as he worked the laces. The pink stands almost seemed fluffy in the sunlight and she couldn't help but think of cotton candy. It made her giggly, which she quickly muffled with her hand, but really, the color fitted so well. Natsu Dragneel, the sexy, too-cool, mysterious guy  _also_  had cotton candy for hair.

Ugh, did she just call him sexy while comparing his hair to a carnival snack? Yip, she really was weird.

'Still, the pink really does suit him,' Lucy thought, going back to admiring the locks. It also helped that pink was one of her favorite colors.

Natsu moved again and Lucy quickly turned her newly burning cheeks away from him and stared at the water. She saw him stand up straight in the corner of her eye, before he walked pass her, only turning back to look up at her once he was a few feet out on the dusty sand.

"So, I figured you'd have more questions, which is why I brought you out here." Lucy blinks widely at the reveal and an excited smile starts to pull at her lips. Natsu catches the look and quickly adds, "There are some questions I will answer, but some I won't."

His statement doesn't do too much to falter her enthusiasm and Lucy nods quickly. "That's fair."

He looks surprised at how easy she gives in and Lucy laughs.

"I got to find out you're an Luxen, I can wait a little longer for you to fully let me in."

The pink-haired man smirked at her enthusiastic tone and shook his head again. "How about I promise to answer anything that you absolutely have to know, and we leave it at that?"

Sounded fair.

"Deal."

"Oh, and I have one more rule for today." His smirk somehow grows cheekier. He winks then and Lucy shoulders hunch a little at the way the look of it makes her cheeks warm. That really seemed to happen a lot lately. Was he doing this on purpose?

Didn't Lisanna say that they could sometimes tell what she was feeling because of an…what was it? Aura?

Oh, Lucy really hoped that he couldn't tell what she was feeling now and that her aura color wasn't something too embarrassing.

"You're blushing, kitten," she hears him chuckle. "See something you like?"

The mortification that came with that washed over her then overpowered any embarrassment. Of course Natsu could always be counted on to ruin their good vibe.

"You're such a,  _ugh_ ," Lucy crosses her arms to keep from running them through her hair and ruining her ponytail. Natsu only finds it more amusing.

"Sorry not sorry that I like watching you get all bent out of shape."

His voice is laced with humor and Lucy rolls her eyes. Okay, so maybe she wasn't so annoyed about the remark. At least their carefree mood was still on point.

"In that case, sorry not sorry if I walk away," she hums, and the pink-head raises an intrigued eyebrow.

"Oh? You think you can take me, kitten?"

His voice is too husky as he says that and even with how her cheeks betray her, she knows he's teasing her. Yet, even as he teases her, he's doing it in good spirits now. It was a welcome change between them. They're relationship, whatever it's becoming, Lucy loves–

"That being said, kitten," Natsu interrupts her thoughts. "If you really do want answers, you can start by working for them."

"Work for them?" Lucy gaped suspesiously. "How?"

Her neighbor smirky as he scans the lake before settling his gaze further out in the water and then points a some rocks at the far side of the lake. Lucy turns to look too. There was quite the distance between them and the rocks. Lucy tilts her head slightly.

She looks back down at Natsu, slowly walking over to him. "You...want me to…?"

"Swim with me for a bit," Natsu smiles at her and waits until she's right beside him before adding, "Loosen up. Have some fun. Let's just be normal for once." That smile turns more playful as he looks down at her. "What do you say? Think you can handle me in the water?"

One blonde eyebrow raises at the challenge and Lucy crosses her arms, squaring her shoulders to convey confidence.

"You know what, Dragneel," Lucy met his smile with a toothy one of her own. "You're on."

Natsu's eyes light up with excitement at her acceptance of his challenge. The golden flicks dance in his black pools and Lucy feels herself inwardly swoon – but now's not the time for that. Natsu wanted to play – she was game.

With a confident shrug, Lucy steps one foot closer, "Besides, you forget that I've already had some experience with you in the water. I think I'll be okay."

Natsu laughs at her display of cockiness. "We'll see," is his comeback and then he casually tugs off his shirt. One, quick tug and suddenly that tan, muscled chest is on full display. Lucy's mouth falls open shamefully and she can't help but let her eyes roam over his perfect physique. She swore she saw him flex his pecks just a little and suddenly the air around them seemed much hotter.

"Like what you see, kitten?"

Of course he's notice her staring, she wasn't exactly being subtle. She didn't even want to guess what her aura color was right now. She'd have to get a handle on her responses to Natsu's...well just Natsu.

Forcing her eyes to look at anything besides the totally-unfair-sexy chest of her male neighbor and with a snort, said, "I'm not going to answer that. I think your ego is inflated enough."

"Maybe you can't admit it verbally, but your eyes don't lie."

Damn. Natsu: 1. Lucy 0.

Choosing to spare herself any further embarrassment, Lucy busies herself with toeing off her sandals and then unwrapping the towel from her waist. After folding it, Lucy sets the towel down next to her sandals and then walks over to the water's edge. She hears Natsu walking over to her, but she keeps her eyes on the crystal clear water. It really did look appealing.

Deciding to test the waters first, Lucy dips one toe in the water and then almost immediately pulls back.

" _Brrr!_  That's freezing!" Lucy squeals and hears Natsu chuckle behind her. She turns to glare at him over her shoulder. He at least has the decency to hold up his hands defencively, even if he was just humoring her.

Natsu's eyes fall to the water again and he moves to stand next to her. He lets his feet stand in the water and doesn't even flinch at the cold feeling. He seems un-bothered. Lucy would ask him about it, but the memory of how hot his skin felt under her fingers reminds her that he didn't exactly have the same body temperature.

"Want me to warm it up for you?"

Lucy doesn't have time to answer, not when looks up to see Natsu's eyes take on a sunlit glow.

"Natsu?" Lucy gasps.

He doesn't answer her or pause his actions. In an instant, a blazing light sparks around the tall man and then his whole form gets engulfed in it. Lucy takes a startled leap back and just as her feet stumble back onto the sand, he's turned into his Luxen form.

She had almost forgotten just how beautiful they really were. Natsu turns to look at her, his supernatural flames wisping over his skin. Her eyes get glued to the stars acting as his eyes and the wonder of it all bubbles in her chest so rapidly that she laughs breathlessly. Natsu smiles happily and then turns back to the water.

"Let me help you out with that."

That's all he says before he turns into a fiery ball of light that flies up into the sky.

Lucy's legs feel numb under her and she does tumble to the sand this time, but her eyes stay fixed on the magical sight. She shakes her head in disbelief and amazement. "What a show-off," she laughs.

Natsu then arcs like a literal shooting star before diving into the lake. The moment he hits the water, the lake lights up into an iridescent glow. Lucy scrambles to rest her weight on her knees to fully take in the view. Was she possible still dreaming? Would she wake up soon and be back in her bed and none of this would have happened? She hoped not.

A second later, Natsu's pink head pops up from the water, a good distance away from her. He's transformed back into his human form. He finds her almost instantly and even from where she's situated all the way on the sand, she can see the way his perfect teeth flash at her in a cheeky grin.

"Come on in, kitten, I promise it's not cold!"

He looks like a naughty kid as he waves her over and Lucy laughs out loud at the look of him, with an arched brow. There's no point in denying the request and Lucy gets to her feet and walks over to the edge of the water. True to his word, the water isn't ice-y anymore. It wasn't like a hot spring, but instead pleasantly cool on her bare skin.

She looks back to where Natsu is still waiting for her and she waves at him. She sees him tilt his head slightly.

She grins out at him and then looks back at the water. It really did feel good. Clenching her hands into fists, Lucy runs into the water. When the water gets too deep to continue running, she dives in.

The cool water surrounds her entire form and seeps into her hair. One word, refreshing. It's exactly what she needed and Lucy's eyes peek open – then widen in wonder. She could see it all: the little pebbles at the bottom of the lake floor, the bits and strips of thistle weeds and the soft sands that she had previously been toeing. It was all too beautiful.

When the need for air became too much, Lucy swam up and broke from the water, her fringe sticking to her forehead. Blinking away the droplets of water from hers, Lucy breathed in the sweet air, looked up at the clear sky, and just took in the wonderful feeling. Today was just getting better and better. A flash of pink brought the girl's brown eyes back down, finding Natsu a few swims away from her. He was watching her with a strange expression. It was soft. So soft that she felt her cheeks warm and her lips curl upwards in a bashful smile.

The blonde gracefully swims over to Natsu, the feeling of his stare never straying. When she gets close enough to him, the pink-haired alien grins back at her, before playfully splashing her.

"Hey!"

"Come on, let's see those claws of yours."

Lucy gasps as another wave comes at her and shields her face, failing miserably at keeping the water from splashing her. "You want to see claws, Natsu?" she giggles under his continuous attacks. "I'll show you claws!"

Natsu's laugh is rich and vibrant as he splashes him right back. "There we go, that's the fiesty Lucy I know!"

Wave after wave, Lucy's laughter mixes with Natsu's as they being the splash war. It reminds her of the first time they came here, how Natsu has coaxed her into swimming and then playing with him. She'd had fun then too, but this meant so much more to her. Because now, now they could understand each other more.

"Hold your breath, kitten!" Natsu calls out to her through the splashing and Lucy's attacks falter at the strange request. His eyes sparkle in the the light and Lucy watches as he disappears beneath the water.

Lucy's arms fall back under the water and sway there as she looks down confusingly. 'What was he…?'

She feels a tug on her ankle, it's not forceful, but felt like a request. She smiles in understanding and after taking a deep breath, dives down after him.

Beneath the surface again, Lucy feels that familiar feeling of being apart from the rest of the world. So peaceful. Her eyes scan the area and her brows slowly furrow.

'Natsu?'

Something draws her eyes downwards and she sees him drifting a few feet beneath her, his smile still present. He swims up towards her, and even beneath the water his eyes shine bright. The gold specks shine like sunken treasure, surrounded by dark pools of black.

Lucy smiles and meets him half way, moving her body downwards. Maybe it was the way the world seemed so peaceful or how happy she felt right then, but Lucy let her extincts and yearning take over. She reaches out and takes his hand, not the least surprised this time when she feels how warm it is, even under the water. Any possible doubts or insecurities that may take over after her action are blown away when Natsu's strong arms pull her fully to him and embraces her tightly. It ends far too quick for her liking, but she doesn't let it bother her. It was still amazing to be here, like this, with him.

When Natsu pulls back, he runs the curves of hi knuckles along the side of her face. The tender touch sends shiver down Lucy's spine and she leans into the feeling. Warmth directly against her skin was such a beautiful contrast to the cool liquid around her. His touch ends at her chin as he lifts her gaze up to meet his before he presses his forehead to hers.

'Is he thanking me?' Lucy wonders as her eyes slipped close. Was this a silent thank you for making him feel normal?

Her fingers find his and she squeezes in answer, her eyes opening to look into his own. Natsu's eyes dip down and Lucy feels her heart skip a beat and her hands unconsciously tighten. The way he was looking at her – did he feel the same as she – was he going to –

Natsu's eyes find hers again and a small smirk peeks at his lips, and then he pulls away. Lucy blinks at him, before following his lead and swimming up after him. They break the surface together and Lucy gasps for breath, only know realizing just how badly she needed air.

Natsu supports her weight against him and wipes her blonde fringe away from her eyes as she inhales deeply.

"You alright, Luce?"

The blonde nods jerkily and then smiles reassuringly at him when she feels her lungs fill with air again. Natsu's eyes run over her face and he shakes his head.

"Sorry, I forgot how little time human's can go without air," he breaths and Lucy shakes her head.

"I'm fine, really, just..." she breaths in and out, but keeps smiling. "a little overwhelmed?" Was that the right word?

Natsu nods, but she doesn't miss the way he looks her skeptically over again."Anyway, shall we head back to shore now? You must be getting tired."

"I think I could go for some time enjoying the sun," she agrees.

Lucy is the first one out of the water. She's laid out on her towel on the sandy shore, watching peacefully as Natsu does some laps. She was pretty sure that he just wanted to show off some more. She didn't complain though and silently enjoyed the view.

When Natsu finally climbs out of the lake, beads of water cling to him like twinkling stars. Lucy bashfully directs her gaze to the sky again, not wanting to become anymore of a creeper than she already felt like.

She hears the thump of Natsu taking a seat next to her, on his own towel. He doesn't say anything as he stretches out next to her. Lucy acts like she can't feel the blissful warmth that radiates off of his very close skin and just enjoys it.

They sit in easy silence for a few moments and Lucy feels like she could get used to this.

"So..." Natsu sighs easily next to her and Lucy peeks over at his face – not daring to glance at the damp body displayed just for her eyes. He's laying mostly flat on his back, with his arms folded behind his head. It was a good look for him, she noted. "What questions do you have for me, kitten?"

The blonde smiled fondly at the way his words lazily drawled out. He was so at ease with her, so relaxed.

"Hmm," she hummed as she turned back to the view of the shimmering lake, adjusting her weight a little more comfortably on her arms that held her body up from behind her. "I don't know. What's your favorite color?"

He scoffs beside her and she looks back to see him looking at her with a raised brow.

"Seriously?"

She shrugged. "It's a simple question. You didn't say I couldn't ask simple questions too."

"...red."

Lucy's interest peaks and she tilts her head to rest on her shoulder as she regards him. "Red's your favorite colour?"

"Not the answer you were expecting?" the pink-head smirks up at her and Lucy rolls her eyes.

"No, actually, I think it suits you. You're made of fire after all."

"Fire isn't red, kitten."

"You know what I mean," she huffs and Natsu snickers.

"...what about you?" Natsu then asks and Lucy looks at him again.

"Me?"

"What's your favorite color?"

She blushes slightly then and her eyes fall to the fluffy, white towels below them. "Don't think too much into it, okay?" Natsu makes a questioning noise. "Just know that I liked this color way before I like you, so don't let your ego get all inflated – I think it's big enough."

" _Hey_ -"

"I like...pink," the blonde blushes as the word leaves her lips and dares to look at him. She's already prepared for the teasing, but blinks when she sees him staring confused at her.

"Why would that inflate my ego?" He asks and Lucy's eyes betray her by flicking to his hair. It was only for half a second, but his eyes flash with realization, and then mortification.

"My hair isn't pink," he pouts and Lucy blinks at the look of it. Natsu was pouting. And it was adorable. She giggles, making his roll his eyes. "It's not. It's salmon."

"Sure it is," Lucy giggles at him and then reaches out to gently grasp some of the hair, feeling how soft the stands felt between her fingers. It was definitely pink. Natsu watches her closely as she does, pout disappeared, and it's only when she catches his eyes does she pull back, a new flush hot on her cheeks.

She clears her throat. "Next question?"

"...sure."

At least he was being nice, Lucy decided to move forward.

"In that case…" her mind wondered and then bit her lip. There were a few things she really wanted to know, and at the same time not. "Have you...fought a lot of Dakrum?"

When she turns to look at him, she sees a vague frown at the corner of his lips. "More than I like," he admits. "...I've lost count, and with you lit up so bright, I'll probably have to fight more."

Lucy's eyes drop down again at that. She knows that he isn't blaming her, but it still fills her with guilt. She suddenly wished she didn't bring it up.

Natsu sighs and turns to look at her before carelessly pushing his hair from his eyes. He pushes himself upwards and Lucy looks at him.

"When I used my powers to protect you from that bear..." he starts and Lucy bites the inside of her cheek. "And from that Dakrum...I should've been more careful."

"You did what you had to."

Natsu smiles at that and it's the void smile she'd been so accustomed to before he let her in. He sighs. "You know, even though there are Dakrum around, they actually aren't fully aware of the Luxen here."

"Really?"

He nods. "Remember when we went to the Seneca Rocks?"

A smile tugs at Lucy's lips as she remembers their hike. "Yeah. You told me about that romantic story you like so much."

Natsu smiles at the small tease and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't hate on a perfectly good legend," he huffs, a tinge of pink decorating his cheeks. "You see, the beta quartz in the Seneca Rocks are able to throw off more than just electric signals. They're powerful enough to be able to hide a Luxen's energy signature, as well."

A slow creeping dread starts to fill Lucy as the realization of how safe Natsu and Lisanna had been...and how her coming into their lives really put them at risk.

"You're trace was my fault," he sighed. "The Dakrum saw it and immediately gunned for you."

Lucy's lips pressed together, not knowing what to say that would ease his mind.

Natsu looks up at the sky. "...It's because of me that you're in danger and my family's in danger."

'He really believes it's all his fault...' Lucy frowns sadly. She can understand his feelings, but she wishes he wouldn't.

Pushing herself upright too, Lucy looks at Natsu, wishing she could change his way of thinking. Wrapping her arms around her now dry legs, Lucy wished she could see inside his head. Words and feelings swell in her as she tries to figure out something to say, but nothing feels right. She feels useless.

"I'm fine, kitten," Natsu assures and the blonde looks at him in surprise. "Your aura is pretty telling right now," he answers her silent question and Lucy slumps.

Right, she forgot about that.

"You're not fine though, are you?" Lucy says softly and Natsu doesn't have to say anything to change her mind. It must be a lot of stress having to protect his family and feel like he's responsible. It wasn't fair. Lucy leans her head against Natsu's shoulder and feels him relax a little under the touch.

"...you're different," Natsu whispers. "Strange. Weird."

Lucy groans at the words and feels and hears him chuckle softly about her. Then he shakes his head.

"It's hard to figure you out, and that's what I like about you."

Lucy pulls away from his shoulder and looks up at him, a small smile on her face. "You're hard to figure out, too."

He smiles at her and tilts his head, some pink strands falling back over his eyes as he does. "What exactly are you, Lucy? What kind of girl accepts the impossible? Still wants to be friends with my sister after I did everything to scare you off." He shakes his head, before pulling back a little to really look at her. "I've been a jerk to you, and still...here you are...who are you? What are you?"

Lucy's eyes soften as she looks at him, a shy look coming over her face. "I'm...just me."

Natsu's smile turns wry then and his eyes turn to the lake again. "...You wanna know what I like most about you?"

Lucy eyes him a little suspiciously. "Is this another tease?"

The wryness melts into mischieviousness as he reaches up and gently takes a hold of her chin. Lucy stills.

"You don't tolerate any crap I throw at you. You always throw me in a loop," his voice turns fond and the blonde laughs under her breath. "You leave me...curious, kitten." And with that, Natsu smirks at her, before leaning back on his arms. "Anyway, until your trace fades, you should stick around me or Lisanna."

Lucy sighs – a soft, but needed breath. "Yeah. Lisanna already told me."

"Good," Natsu replies. "...I meant what I said to you last night, you know. Nothing's going to hurt you."

Lucy smiles a tiny smile at the promise.

"...thank you, Natsu."

'I'm gonna be there for you too.'

A chill wind blows through the woods as the afternoon light shifts to early evening.

Natsu's the first to break the silence.

"It's getting late. We should head back."

Lucy finds herself nodding, even though the last thing she wants to do is leave. She doesn't want the day to end, but knows that it has to eventually.

"Yeah, school starts up again tomorrow," she sighs. "I can't believe Labor Day weekend's over already."

As she stands and begins to gather her things, Lucy turns to see Natsu staring at the sunset again. The warm colors of the sky seem to add something extra to the little place of paradise. She couldn't blame him for wanting to take another look.

That's when a sudden, sad realization hits her as she walks over to stand next to the tall man.

"Natsu...I like this."

"...what do you mean?"

"This," Lucy repeats and looks away from the setting sun to stare up at him. "I like this: this moment where we're just honest with each other."

Was it going to end once they went back to school? When Natsu was surrounded with the other Luxen. Juvia didn't like her, neither did Laxus. Will Natsu go back to avoiding her when around his own people?

The pink-haired boy doesn't say anything in response. He doesn't even look at her. Instead he closes his eyes as if he's soaking in the last bit of sunlight before he turns and start walking.

Lucy stays put and watches him with a sinking heart.

When he's near the rocks that clutter near the trees, he stops and looks back at her, a small smile on his face as he watches her.

"Come on, kitten. I didn't save you from a truck so you could die from a cold."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of the second week of school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> This is chapter 15 and we're way over half way now. There are still a few more chapters left to go - maybe 10 or so. I might change the number of chapters (most likely to shorter than 27, we'll see) 
> 
> Thanks for supporting this story! It's always nice to hear from you guys!
> 
> This chapter was meant to be twice this long, but I cut it in half so all the chapters can be around the same length. On the upside, it means that chapter 16 is almost ready to be uploaded too ;D
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Sorry for any spelling mistakes (I always miss a few when I proof read, I don't know why).
> 
> Enjoy!

 

The next morning, Lucy wakes up to the sound of her alarm beeping. The blonde girl groans into her pillow. The absolute worst part about mornings is waking up. She could never get back to sleep once she'd been woken up. Unfortunately, Lucy couldn't even relax more because she had to get ready for school.

Mondays really were the worst...or was it Tuesdays?

A giant yawn escapes her as she pulls away the covers. The memories from last night swirl in her head as she rolls up into a sitting position. It all almost felt like a dream. It was still so strange to know that Natsu and Lisanna were aliens. Even yesterday, at the lake…

Lucy's heart skips a beat at the memory. Natsu had been so kind and sweet to her. Lately, she felt like she was really starting to understand him, and...it was nice. Natsu Dragneel was complex – he could be mysterious, cold and  _frankly_  pretty jerky – but he could also be caring and soft and just -

Lucy smiled through the beginnings of a blush, her eyes going towards the window. The curtains were closed, but she could imagine the Dragneel household on the other side, all large and mysterious – just like it's owners.

Natsu was...he was strong. But also fragile, it was just hard to notice with the facade he put on. She was grateful for that mask slipping a little more and more the more they spent time together.

"Lucy! Are you up?"

Lucy jolts at the voice, before looking towards her door. Her aunt was still here? The blonde quickly hoped onto her feet and skips towards the closed door, opening it enough to yell out; "I'm just getting ready, Aqua!"

"Hurry up! You should set that alarm of yours earlier –"

Lucy shakes her head fondly as she shuts the door again, before walking over to her closet. She pulls out a violet, sleeveless shirt and a mocha-colored mini-skirt. Lucy's lips pursed as she admired the possible outfit, holding them out in front of her.

"...I think it's going to be warm today..." she hums, casting a quick look back at the window. The sun beams were shining invitingly through the curtains. It was a good sign. Lucy nodded, before getting dressed. She decided to go with two high ponytails, leaving a her shoulders and upper back almost bare. The sun would feel good against her skin. After a quick session of putting on some makeup, Lucy grabs her backpack.

No matter what happened today, she was going to stay positive.

A loud honking sounded and Lucy's eyes went to her window. Another honk and Lucy walked over, pulling back the curtains to look out.

Below, stood Lisanna, beaming up at her and waving. One hand was still resting on the horn of her car, the driver's door wide open. Lucy grinned at the display and opened her window to wave back.

"Morning, L!"

"Lucy! Good morning!" the silver-haired girl yelled back, her voice like a calming melody in the wind. "I'm gonna head to school, see you at lunch?"

"Okay! I'll see you there, I still need to get ready!"

Lisanna's head shook with friendly judgment – which somehow was a thing if it came from Lisanna Strauss. The dainty girl waved enthusiastically once more in her direction, before gracefully climbing into her car.

Lucy watched her drive off with silent laughter. At least Lisanna seemed to be in a good mood today. She'd follow the lead.

The blonde's eyes went to look around the rest of the lawn. There was no sign of Natsu's bakkie anywhere – and he hadn't driven with Lisanna either. He must have already left, something she was surprised by considering how early Lisanna left for school.

An unsettling feeling washed over her as she leaned back into her room. Was Natsu already avoiding her?

Maybe a little too aggressively, Lucy shook her head. She shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. She had to stay positive.

With her new mindset, the blonde adjusted her hold on her backpack and walked out of her room.

* * *

It was still pretty early when Lucy walked into the school hallway. There was still another half an hour before the bell rang for the first class. She was honestly surprised to see so many students inside. Some were chatting against their lockers or walking through the halls, same as her. She'd given up the idea of trying to find Lisanna after parking in the lot. The silver-haired sweetie was probably already in her own classroom too. Lucy would just wait until lunch to see her. Until then, she's just get to her first class too.

In AP Calculus Lucy is surprised to see Levy already at her desk, who is busy talking with a standing Erza. It was a nice surprise as it meant she'd have some people to talk to until class started. Some of the other students in the classroom that noticed her gave her funny looks as she stepped into the room– others smiled at her, one even waved. Lucy, not wanting to seem rude, waved and smiled back. She didn't stop to speak with any of them though, her steps never faltering on her destination to her newest girl friends. No one could ever replace Lisanna, but Erza and Levy seemed like really nice girls and the blonde was eager to get to know them more. After all, she was going to be in this small town for a while, she might as well make as many friends as she could – she had that opportunity here.

And maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could get Lisanna to hang out with them too. She knew the shy girl really wanted friends, but their reputation prevented any of it. Maybe, now that Natsu was starting to trust Lucy a bit too, she could get him to ease up with this issue – at least enough to be friendly with the other humans.

When she gets close enough, she can hear the two girls already sharing their weekend stories. If only she could tell them hers. Even if she didn't know them that well, Lucy had a funny feeling that Levy would die over the news. Even without the mention of aliens, it was still a pretty cool story. The only reason she was going to keep it to herself was because she didn't know if Natsu would be happy with her telling anyone about them hanging out together. She still wasn't sure if he would avoid her again now that they would be surrounded by the other Luxen. The reminder of that little fear formed a lump in the blonde's throat. She had tried not to think about it too much after Natsu walked her home yesterday, but now...would she be able to hang out with Lisanna without one of them putting up a fight?

Had Lisanna and Natsu even told the other Luxen that she now knew everything? She probably should have asked…

"-Jellal seemed to really enjoy the trip too. It was nice to get out a little."

" _Ugh._  I wish I could take a trip to North Carolina. I got to spend my weekend working my ass off at the diner. There was this  _one_  women who just kept coming at me – how did Jellal even get off? It's not fair that I have to suffer alone-"

The sound of the Levy's depressed and envious voice had Lucy snap out of her drowning thoughts. She was more than grateful for the distraction and decided to focus on them instead. It would certainly make the day easier to get through. She walked over, a friendly smile on her face. Erza was the first to notice her and grinned stunningly back at her.

"Oh Lucy, hey," the scarlet-haired beauty greeted her. Some of that silky-looking hair fell over her one eye, covering half of her unfairly gorgeous face. It wasn't to hide her, Lucy noted. Nor was it a timid or shy move that Lisanna tended to do. Not at all. Erza still stood with that same authority and confidence she had when the blonde first met her. Lucy couldn't help but feel envious of her.

"Morning Erza, hey Levy," Lucy said cheerfully as she sets down her bag on the desk next to them, before moving to stand next Levy's table. "What's this about a trip?"

Erza made to reply, but paused to smile down at the sitting blue head, who groaned once more.

"No~  _Lucy_ , don't give her an excuse to brag more about her  _perfect_  relationship," Levy pleaded as she ducked her blue head into her folded arms. Erza laughed, a classy sound. Some of the other students paused in their own conversations to peek over at the tall amazon, obviously admiring the action. Lucy didn't blame them.

"It's far from perfect, Levy," the red-head blushed just a little after a small pause "But that's what I like about it too."

Lucy smiled at her new friend. She hadn't seen Jellal and Erza together yet, but by the way the girl's voice softened and how her cheeks flushed just slightly insured her of how much she was in love. It was sweet.

Levy seemed to have gotten over the couple though, if the small, defeated sigh was any indication. To be fair, the short girl did know them for a lot longer and had probably seen them act all loved up plenty.

"I need a boyfriend..."

Lucy giggled at the pitiful tone, while Erza rolled her eyes with undeniable fondness.

"Don't worry, Levy," Lucy said and touched the girl's small shoulders. "You and I can binge old rom-coms and read some good old love novels – like Pride and Prejudice!"

That seemed to perk up the spunky bluenette, who raised her head to grin up at Lucy. "Hmm, I do love me some Jane Austen. Ooh! We can have a like a J.A. sleep over!"

Honestly? Lucy would love that!

"Oh I'm so in!" Lucy almost squealed. She wondered if Lisanna would be interested too? She knows her best friend enjoyed books too – albeit not as much as herself, but still! It would also be a good chance to get Lisanna more well known with some other people, it might even settle some of the bad rumors! "It's a date!"

"What's a date?" A male voice asked behind them and Lucy jumped slightly at it, before turning around.

A boy with blue hair – a couple shades darker than Levy's own – walked over to them, a pleasant smile on his handsome face. He was tall-ish. Not the tallest male Lucy had met in the town, but he still stood at about a head taller than her, she'd guess. He wasn't in this class, she didn't remember seeing him last week. It was possible he had been sick, but she doubted it. Lucy had seen him before though – that blue hair, matched with that strange, red tattoo under his right eye was unmistakable. She recognized him as the friendly waiter from the diner – the one that had served her and Lisanna the first time she ate there. By the way he walked right up to Erza and how his eyes softened oh so visibly – not to mention the way the red-head's lips curved into an almost dopey smile upon seeing him – Lucy guessed he must be Jellal, the boyfriend.

The blue-haired boy came to a stop when he reached Erza, leaning in to affectionately touch shoulders with her – confirming Lucy's suspicions of his identity.

"Hey."

Erza's lips quirked higher at the soft greeting and leaned just a bit more into him too. "Hi."

His dark green eyes almost seemed to brighten at the sound of Erza's shy hello. Lucy felt her own cheeks warm up at the sweet meeting. Okay – they  _had_ to be together. It was obvious how much they cared for each other just by the way they looked at one another. Lucy kinda felt like she was intruding. Was this what Levy had complaining about the other day?

"Why hello, Jellal. How are you? I'm good, thanks."

The casual voice of Levy pulled the two love birds out of their little spell, and Jellal smiled apologetically down at his other friend. Erza seemed less then impressed.

Levy, on the other hand, seemed pretty proud of herself at that very moment and smiled a little too innocently back at them. Lucy couldn't help but smile amusingly.

"Hey Levy, good weekend?" Jellal asked. There was no annoyance in his voice as he talked to her. Lucy got the feeling that they were good enough friends to tease each other and get away with it.

"Yeah, except I got stuck working the whole weekend because a  _certain_  somebody left for a mini honeymoon."

" _Levy!"_ Erza gasped, her one visible eye widening in distaste and embarrassment. Jellal laughed instead and toyed with some of the back of his blue hair, just a tiny tinge of red appearing over his one cheek.

"Sorry about that Levy, I told Ernie that I'd take the next weekend though. Good enough for payment?"

Levy tapped a finger on her chin a couple times in mock thought, before shrugging. "It's a start," her smile then moves up to Lucy, who still watches the exchange silently. "Actually, it's kind of perfect. We're thinking of having a little book party soon. Why not this weekend?"

Lucy's eyes widen at the suggestion. She opens her mouth to answer, when Jellal clears his throat. She looks at him.

"You're Lucy Heartfilia," he says, his eyes widened just a little. His voice sounds a little embarrassed and it really seems like he just now realized she was here. If it were another time, Lucy might have felt a bit insulted, but considering how obsorbed he had been with Erza, she can't really be too angry with him. She felt kind of jealous, honestly. It would be nice to have someone look at her that way too.

A sudden image of Natsu's soft gaze flashed in her brain and Lucy felt her heart skip a beat.

"I remember you from the diner," Jellal continues to say and Lucy blinked away her thoughts just in time to see him offer his hand in a proper greeting. "I'm Jellal Fernandez, Erza's told me a lot about you. It's nice to officially meet."

Lucy smiles politely back at him and accepts his handshake, before letting go again. He still had that nice-guy feel about him. Whether he had been putting on an act for the sake of his job or not, Lucy now appreciated how civil, and even open, he spoken to Lisanna. She hoped he was always like that. So far, so good. "Nice to meet you, I've heard a little about you too."

Jellal huffs at that and sneaks an amused look at Erza. "Good or bad things?"

Erza rolls her eyes, but smiles all the same. "I'd be more concerned about what Levy's said then me."

"Oh sure, blame the short girl," Levy sighs with a touch of fake despair, one tiny hand moving to dramatically clasp the material over her heart. "We are such easy targets."

"Only because you put yourself in those positions," Erza smiled, before catching Lucy's eyes and winking at her. Lucy giggled in turn. It was actually pretty easy to feel at ease with them. It was probably their dynamic.

Levy gave both girls a fake glare, but eventually dissolved into her own little giggles. " _Hehe_ -whatever, fine – but remember this when your excluded from Lucy's and my awesome Jane Austen party." She looked up at Lucy with a cheery grin. "We might even watch Erza's favorite movie, you know the one where the hooker meets the hot, rich -"

"That is not my favorite movie!"

Levy waves her off dismissively. "Right-right, but you're going to have to admit eventually about how much of romantic you are – it's not like it'd come to a surprise."

Erza folds her arms at the statement and pointedly looks away, choosing not to answer that statement.

Jellal smiles softly down at his pouting girlfriend. Lucy catches when he moves one arm behind her and soothingly rubs up and down her arm. The effect it has on Erza is immediate, her red brows easing once more.

"Movie and book-reading party, huh?" Jellal hums, looking back at Levy and then Lucy. "Original. Any chance we can get in on that?"

Levy tilts her chin up. "Nope, sorry. It's singles only. Right Lucy?"

The blonde smiles widely, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Definitely! Why should couples have all the fun?"

Levy squeals at the cheeky tone in Lucy's voice and pops up from her chair to give the blonde a quick squeeze. Lucy giggles with the short girl, while Erza smiles as she shakes her head. Jellal leans down to whisper something in Erza's ear and the scarlet-haired girl's smile widens as she turns to look at him.

Levy stills her squeezes and leans her head against Lucy's shoulder, before saying, "How scandelous, right? Whispering such naughty things in a classroom and in front of us no less." Levy's words were just quiet enough to be heard in their little group. Erza seemed to be the most affect as her face turned the same colour of her hair. It was a strange sight on someone to stunningly confident. Yet, Lucy still found it endearing. Even Jellal had the decency to full on blush this time, but unlike the glaring Scarlet, he chuckled at the words.

Lucy joined and even giggled herself too. Big mistake, because she got a glare from Erza. She wasn't going to lie, it was bone chilling! No wonder Erza was class rep, if she could pull out those kind of glares, Lucy wouldn't dare put up any fights with her. Levy must be one brave cookie. Lucy was quick to mouth an apology, as Levy still giggled at her own jokes. Erza thankfully softened then and smiled, shaking her head forgivingly.

Well, at least she dodged that bullet. Lucy silently made a note to stay off teasing Erza. She'd rather leave that entirely up to Levy.

"Uhh, anyway," Jellal voiced, bring all attention to him, his eyes landed on Lucy. "Erza says that you live just outside town with Aquarius?"

"Yeah, she's my aunt – not blood related, but we might as well be."

He nodded. "How do you like the town so far? Missing home yet?"

Lucy laughed to herself, a quick, small sound. "It's different here, that's for sure, but it's not as bad as I expected it to be. This place has got some highlights."

Levy hummed as she re-seated herself at her desk. "What's not to love? Limited stores and one library. And at least twice a day, I'll run into someone I used to hang out with when dyppers were still a massive roll in my life."

"Do you get a kick out of being this sarcastic so early in the morning?" Erza huffed with a hitch of amusement. Levy grinned at her.

"When I haven't had my coffee, yes Ms Scarlet. Indeed I do."

Erza rolls her eyes, before looking back at Lucy. "How was your weekend? Do anything interesting?"

'Not much. Just found out my best friend and the guy I'm kinda into are beings, called Luxen, from a different planet. Oh – I almost died, but was saved thanks to said guy, and then spent a lovely afternoon finding out more and more about them. Also, I think I may be starting to find fire a little attractive – is that weird? So yeah, not much.'

"I spend my weekend mostly reading or gardening. Not much, really, but I had fun."

"I'd take the book part as my kind of fun," Levy said, a far away look crossing over her hazel eyes afterwards. "As for gardening...I somehow always manage to kill everything I try to grow."

"She's not kidding," Erza says when Lucy smiles. Jellal nods in agreement.

"Like you two could do any better than me," the little blue-head pouts.

"Maybe Lucy can give you some tips about how to keep plants from dying?" Jellal offers and Lucy smiles encouragingly at the idea. Levy looks a little uncertain, before rubbing at the back of her neck and shakes her head, a wide, defeated grin on her cute face.

"I'm good, Luce. I don't think nature intended for me to have that relationship with them, so why push it? I think I'll just stick at what I'm good at and keep reading."

Lucy giggles at that. "I get it. It's like me with singing. Just not meant to be and I should never try it."

Levy laughs too.

Just then, the door slams open, and the four of them, along with a few of the other students, turn to see who just walked in. For a beat of a second, Lucy thinks it might be Natsu. Her chest flutters at the possibility and doesn't bother to deny her wish-fullness. It was a little late for that.

However, the flutters die down when Simon – the jock boy she'd met on her first week – struts into the classroom.

It was probably for the best, honestly. She doesn't know how she'd react if Natsu came in here and ignored her again.

The rest of the classroom seems to ease as well at the sight of him, some of the other boys walking up to high five him or slap him welcomingly on the back. A few of the boys wore football jackets, so Lucy knew they were part of his pose-y, though he also greeted some of the other students. It was nice to see a popular guy treating others with the same charisma.

"It's just Simon," Levy says as Lucy watches now less interested as he enthusiastically and loudly chats with his friends.

"What's he doing here though?" Jellal voiced, his tone a pitch lower than usual and Lucy looked at him in confusion. He was watching the jock with a blank expression, but something about he way he said the guy's name told Lucy that Jellal wasn't a big fan of his. She wondered why? She had only spoken with Simon maybe twice, but he didn't seem so bad. To be fair, she didn't know the two boy's relationship.

"I heard he was swapping classes. He's with us this year," Erza answered. Her words didn't sit too well with Jellal, who's blank expression broke for a split second when his lips twitched unhappily.

'Yeah, Jellal definitely doesn't like Simon.'

Lucy's brows furrowed un-surely with this new information and looks back over to the jock. Simon was still surrounded by his friends, before his baby blue eyes settled on her. His grin widens.

"Is he staring at us?" Levy whispered, one blue brow raised and just as Lucy looks back at her, they hear the jock call out.

"Hey, Lucy!"

"And we have an answer," Erza said just as Lucy turned back to see the man walking over to them.

Simon's eyes stayed glued to Lucy as he walked over, until he was standing right in front of Levy's desk. "Mornings, mornings. Erza, Levy, how are my girls doing today?"

Levy was the first to answer, her arms folding over her chest. "Hey  _Simon_. Is this barging into a classroom going to be an everyday thing? My heart almost jumped out of my chest when you walked in."

Simon barked a laugh at that, before shaking his head. "Noted, sorry Levy. I was just excited to get to class this morning..." his eyes flicker over to Lucy, who blinked in thought. He smiled confidently at her, before looking at Jellal and smiled a toothier grin.

"What's up Jellal? You good, man?"

It probably happened too quick for Simon to notice, but Lucy caught the way the blue-haired man's cheek twitched at the greeting.

"Yeah, nice to see you too, Simon." It was almost too polite, how Jellal replied – almost practiced. There was some distaste in his eyes as he looked at the slightly taller man, and Lucy looked at Erza with questioning eyes.

The red-head caught the look and cleared her throat, one of her hands reaching up to rest on her boyfriend's chest. She smiled at Simon.

"So you really changed to this class, Simon? You know it's not an easy switch."

The blond jock's grin went to the scarlet beauty. "I think I can handle it, Scarlet. I've been known to exceed expectation."

"I'll take your word for it," Erza said, her voice even and not impolite.

Simon shrugged and winked. "I won't let you down." He then turned his body almost entirely to Lucy and looked her over, before meeting her eyes. "Hi Lucy. Looking good – as always."

Lucy blinked at the compliment and offered her own smile. She didn't know him enough to judge him yet, so it was the right thing to do, besides, he had been nice to her the few times they'd talked. She didn't know why Jellal seemed so annoyed, but it wasn't right to just dislike somebody just because you're possible new friend didn't. She liked to be open-minded.

"Thanks, Simon. You too."

It was a true compliment. Simon was a good looking guy, in that 'so obviously a jock' kind of way. He was dressed up in his football jacket again, a white t-shirt underneath it, and worn out skinny jeans and green sneakers. His blonde hair was gelled a little and slicked back, but not flat, just stylish. He looked good. Clean. Lucy might even say he was cute if that stupid voice in her head didn't keep comparing him to Natsu. It just wasn't fair to compare anyone to Natsu Dragneel.

"How was your Labor Day weekend?" Lucy said in a little bit of a rush. She had to get her thoughts clear before it became weird. She just hoped it wasn't noticeable.

Simon flashes her another boyish smile before casually shrugging. "It was fine. I didn't do anything great, just hung out with my pals. What about you?" His hands dig into his pants pockets as he looks at her. "You know if you ever feel lonely, I'd be happy to hang out sometime-"

"Yeah, well you'll have to get in line," Levy sings as she leans back in her seat, smiling cheekily up at the jock. "I've already booked her this weekend."

Simon looks sour about that fact for a moment, before shrugging and smiles at Lucy. "Maybe next time, then."

Lucy smiles.

"Anyway, I just wanted to remind you all that Homecoming is happening soon," Simon says, pulling his eyes away from the blonde to give the others a small bit of acknowledgment as he speaks. "Might want to get cracking on with that."

"It's not til October, Erza's on the class rep, remember? We'd know before you did," Jellal says and Lucy's sure he is struggling not to roll his eyes. Simon still seems to be oblivious and even pats the other man on the shoulder. She almost snickers at the way Jellal looks down at his shoulder afterwards. Must be an ego thing.

"Right, shit, I forgot," Simon admits a little bashfully. "Guess you guys don't need me to keep you up to date, you have the Queen of the school to keep you in check." He then looks back at Lucy. "It's just good to be prepared, you know? Homecoming is the best, especially if you go with the right person." There's a twinkling in his eyes as he says this and Lucy's shoulders tense a little at the unspoken indication.

Erza hums her agreement. Levy doesn't seem all that interested in the conversation anymore and has taken to pulling out her books.

"Queen of the school?" Lucy asks, generally interested and wanting to steer the conversation to something else.

Erza looks a little proud of the name and smirks at her. "It's nothing, just a nickname I've gained over the years."

"You mean  _earned_ , Erza," the eased version of Jellal is back as he smiles down at his girlfriend, the shift in his eyes a giant contrast to how they were a minute ago. He was obviously proud of her. Lucy smiles too and thinks that the name actually does suit her.

"Yeah...I'm still waiting for my nickname," Levy pitches in and the group laughs, she pouts. "I'm serious!"

"Oh! How about - 'Book-wielder'? Or 'The blue Pixie'? Or even 'the Spunk-master'?"

Levy cringes at the options, but laughs all the same. "Now way! Those suck – don't you dare start spreading those around!"

"Gotcha," Simon says. "I'll keep thinking."

Lucy laughs too. "I think Levy is good enough." Levy smiles a little shyly and nods.

"I think you're right. If those are my best bets, I'd rather stick with my name."

"Seconded," Erza agrees.

"So yeah, uhm, back to the homecoming thing," Simon says. "As per tradition, there's a post-dance after-party." He flashes them a smile. "All of you are invited, of course."

"Can't wait," is Jellal's response, and Lucy has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep a startled giggle from escaping. The sarcastic remark sounded so strange from such a nice guy like Jellal. It was surprising.

Simon beamed at the answer and then turned a little to leave. "Anyway, looking forward to seeing you guys at the dance," he says this looking directly at Lucy, almost pointedly, before walking off to chat with his friends again.

Lucy's cheeks warm at the obvious meaning behind his words. Simon really did seem like such a nice guy. Not the usual popular boy type. Her mind betrayed her once more with another memory of a smile Natsu and the blonde's lips curled upwards shyly. She was really going to have to stop denying her feelings, no matter how embarrassing. Simon was a nice guy, but she couldn't get her mind off of the broken alien.

Still, it was nice to be noticed a little bit.

'Homecoming, hm?' Lucy's cheeks flushed a deeper red. 'Would Natsu possibly want to – No.' Her feelings aside, there was no telling for sure how he felt about her. And even if there was a chance he felt the same way, she wasn't sure he'd own up to those feelings…

"Luce...Lucy?"

"Huh?" the blonde's eyes widened at the call and looked to see Erza, Jellal and Levy all giving her weird looks. Oh...she must have been spacing out again. She really had to sort herself out.

Levy's eyes turn more worried then at the blonde girl and she reaches out to touch her side. "Everything okay, Luce? You seemed deep in thought there."

"You shouldn't be worried about Simon, he's mostly harmless," Erza said after a second. Jellal frowned at that, but didn't argue with her.

"Oh, it's not that," Lucy smiled reassuringly. "I just spaced a little. It's nothing to worry about."

Erza makes a thoughtful sound, before saying, "If it's about homecoming. I doubt you have anything to worry about. I know a bunch of the guys at the school are interest. You won't be dateless."

Lucy turned beet red at the words and struggled to find words to deny the fact, but Levy's annoyed groan beat her to it.

"Do we really have to talk about the dance? It's still months away!"

Jellal chuckled at his tiny friend and reached out to ruff up her messy, blue hair. She squeaks at the motion. "Ahh, don't worry Lev, you'll find someone too. I'm sure Jet or Droy would love to take you if you can't find a date. Or you can always tag along with Erza and I."

Levy slaps his hand away without much force and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, going to the dance with your friends is every girl's dream," her eyes turned a little accusing. "And do you  _have_  to keep rubbing your relationship in my face – have some shame, dude!"

"You know it's not like that, Levy," Jellal smiles. Levy doesn't look very convinced.

"Speaking of dates..." Erza's eyes then settle on Lucy, she seems to contemplate whether to say something or not, before giving in and asking, "Are you hoping for a special someone to take you to homecoming, Lucy? I remember you seemed a little taken with..." by the trailing off, she seems to regret her words and Lucy doesn't have to wonder why.

She was talking about Natsu.

Erza and Levy had both warned Lucy about the Dragneel boy, though it thankfully seemed that they didn't have anything against him. Just the rumors, though if she remembered, Erza didn't care too much for them, was even unwilling to bring them up until Levy got it out of her. As for Levy, she seemed to be uncertain, but at least she also didn't seem to hate the guy – or Lisanna. The Dragneels and maybe the Redfox's just put up a wall to keep others out. It was just the way things were.

"Don't tell me you like Simon Cutters?" Jellal seemed almost insulted at the notion and Lucy smiled. Right, he hadn't been there for Levy's teasing.

"I don't know," Levy hummed softly, looking down at her books. "She's probably still hooked on that Natsu-fever. All new girls go through it." Even as she whispers it, Lucy's happy to note that Levy isn't looking down on her. There's a crease in her brow like she's still worried about it, but there's no judgment. She must have taken Lucy's words to heart when she said stood up for the siblings in the cafeteria.

Lucy smiles contently at that. Maybe it wasn't too late to change their minds on them. They had said that they were friend's with Natsu before Zeref disappeared.

"Natsu Dragneel, huh? You've fallen under that spell?" Jellal smiled knowingly at Lucy. She couldn't help but blush at the look. It was almost like he could read her. "Well, you were hanging out with Lisanna at the diner, so I guess it was more than likely going to happen."

Lucy's mouth falls open. Was Jellal teasing her too?

"She lives next door to them too," Levy adds, some of her prior cheekiness returning.

"Interesting," Jellal hums.

Erza frowns at Jellal, pulling a little at his shirt her hand was still resting against. "You're as bad as Levy. Don't tease her, Jellal. You know it's not right – not after what happened with..." Erza's word die down and Jellal softens at her, before looking back at Lucy.

"I guess you heard the story?"

She almost wished she hadn't.

"Yes," Lucy's eyes lower. "I heard. Natsu and Lisanna also told me a little." The look that crosses over Erza's is a mix between hope and surprise. Jellal smiles small-y.

"It's good to see he's opening up if he's told you personally," his voice quiets down a pitch. "Natsu and Lisanna had it rough for a long time." He then smiles at her. "I know Natsu can be a little hard to handle sometimes – and that was before the...the incident, but...I think you can handle him actually." He finishes this with a small wink, and even with the small blush that rises over her cheeks, Lucy decides that she really likes Jellal Fernandez.

It was nice to see that there were more people in the town that didn't look down at her neighbors, even if the list was few. So far, it seemed to be Natsu's ex friends that still felt for him. Funny how something like time and a tragedy can pull people apart.

"Look, she's blushing," Levy snickers and Lucy pouts at her. It only makes her laugh louder.

Something catches her eye and Lucy looks forward to see Simon staring at her from across the room. He's frowning about something, but once he notices her staring back, he smiles again, before turning back to the other boys who are deep in conversation.

Before Lucy can gather her thoughts on the matter, the first warning bell for first period rings, jolting her slightly.

"Aw, the time went so fast," Levy complains, looking up to the ceiling with a small pout. "Couldn't the principle let things slip just once?"

Erza perches her hands on her hips, regarding the sitting girl with the raised brow. "I thought book worms loved school?"

"First off – all because I like books, does not mean that I have to love school. Second off –  _of course_  I like school, just not this particular subject."

Erza rolls her eyes once more, before turning back at Jellal, her hands moving to fold across her chest. "I suppose you need to get to class to – you shouldn't be late." Lucy tries not to stare too much at the couple, but the sweetness of it all just called out to her. Erza wasn't directly looking into his eyes, instead finding something about his pale shirt much more interesting. Jellal tilted his head as he watched his girlfriend and reached out to toy with the ends of Erza's dark hair. Either he forgot that Lucy and Levy were watching a few inches away or he wasn't bother by it.

"I'll see at lunch, then?" Jellal asked, a smile gracing his lips and Erza smiles too.

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Ooh, Erza – aren't you such a tease?" Levy said, bringing all eyes to her once more. Lucy was starting to suspect that she really did enjoy teasing them.

Erza looked like she was ready to strangle Levy, her face a dark colour once more. Jellal chuckles as he moved his hands up to gently grasp her shoulders. If Lucy didn't know better, she'd think he was restraining her from doing just that.

"Alright, before Levy kicks me out, I should get going. I bet Gray's waiting for me anyway," Jellal laughed good-naturally and tugged gently at Erza's shoulders to get her to look at him again. Unfortunately for him, the titled Queen was still deep in embarrassment and stood solid, refusing to meet his eyes.

Sighing in defeat, Jellal looked over at Lucy and smiled. "It was nice speaking to you outside the diner, Lucy. I'm sure we'll get to hang out more since Erza and Levy have taken such a liking to you."

Lucy honestly wouldn't mind that at all. Jellal seemed like a really nice guy, someone she could see her being friends with too.

"Sounds great, I'm glad we could talk too," Lucy agreed.

Jellal's eyes go back to his girlfriend who's cheeks still burn rose-y, but considerably better than before. He doesn't say anything, but smiles down at her. Erza's shoulder rise and fall in a short sigh, before turning to finally look at him. She eyes his smile and rolls her eyes and smiles too. Jellal takes that as permission for his next move, and before Erza can look away again, one of his hands brush back the hair still covering her one eye and plants a lingering kiss there on her temple. Erza gasps quietly at the feeling – her face regaining its prior deep red. This time though, it's accompanied by a gushy smile too. A few of the other students around them whistle at the display, but Lucy is the only one to startle at the noise.

Jellal slowly pulls back and the winks at Erza, who huffs at him.

The second warning bell rings and Erza gently pushes at the man's chest. "Go, before you I have to give you detention."

"I'm going," Jellal says, reluctantly letting her go. He shoots a nod of goodbye to the other two girls who still watch in the background – Levy with a cheeky expression – Lucy with cooing eyes, before he walks away.

"Awe, Erza! I'm so jealous!" Lucy cries as she turns to look at the still smiling red-head. Erza gives her a happy grin, before shaking her head. "I'm glad you like him, Lucy. Since we're friends now, you'll be seeing him a lot."

Lucy laughs at that. "It may be bad for my inner romantic – but I have to say that you guys are really cute together."

"Thanks Lucy," Erza blushes, a stunning sight on the amazon.

"I can't believe you threatened him with detention," Levy snorts. "Isn't the best thing about dating the class rep to get away with some things?"

"This is why I'm class representative and you're not, Levy."

"Sounds like a challenge," Lucy beams.

"Oh, I'd definitely go against her this year – but I don't want to put myself through that nightmare," Levy pales. Lucy takes that as advice not to run against Erza.

"I'm not that bad," Erza frowns, seeing the uneasy look on Lucy's face.

"I didn't say any-"

"No she is, trust me."

"Thanks Levy," Erza drawls as Lucy laughs in relief. Erza then straightens her blouse and says, "Alright, that was the second bell. The teacher will be hear soon. We should take our seats." She says the words loud enough that they practically echo around the classroom. Lucy watches amazed as all the students obey her and start moving to their desks. Erza then looks at Lucy and smiles. "You too, Lucy."

"Right," Lucy says, before turning to the desk right next to Levy's. Erza walks to hers a few rows down.

Just as Lucy pulls out her chair out, the door swings open again, and this time it is Natsu that walks in.

The rest of the class quiets down a little once he's entered the room, but mostly people carry on chatting. His dark eyes scan the room before it lands on her, and suddenly Lucy forgets how to breath. She faintly hears the girls at the desk on the other side of her whispering little awes and oohs about her neighbor. She doesn't bother looking over at them, somehow she can't tear her eyes away from his.

Her stomach feels sick as her mind runs with possible scenarios. Would he avoid her in public? Would all the progress they've made be thrown away? Lucy wanted to walk over and demand he say something – to get this over with. She didn't want to go back to their old relationship. He must know how nervous she was – he can see her aura right? What was the colour of fear?

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lucy knew she needed to calm herself down. If Natsu didn't want to have anything to do with her out in the open, it meant that he didn't care enough about her – not the way she secretly wanted him to – and that was okay.

Except is wasn't.

Something flickers in Natsu's dark eyes – a small brightness she's begun to get to know. He's watching her, closely. Lucy's fingers grip the chair's back and slowly offers the tiniest of smiles. A question silently attached to it – one she hopes he'll get.

And then he smiles at her.

Not a smirk or a cheeky grin, but a real smile, one that she's rarely seen, but knows instantly. It's just a simple tug of one side of his lips, but it makes Lucy's chest warm with relief, her own smile widening to mirror the feeling.

He's still standing there, smiling at her and Lucy wants to walk over to properly greet him. The fact that he acknowledged her meant that he wouldn't avoid her, right? She chose to believe that. Lucy doesn't have to contemplate going over to him for too long, because Natsu takes a step towards her. Lucy's hands move away from the chair and her smile widens as she starts to mouth her greeting. He was making an effort too.

"Mor-" Just as Lucy starts the word, their teacher marches into the classroom, briefcase and a pile of papers in hand.

Natsu's pink head turns to look behind him and frowns at the man, who walks straight up to his desk, before looking back at Lucy – whose teeth had sunk disappointingly into her bottom lip. He mouths something to her, quick and expressionless, but it was more than enough to keep her spirits up.

' _Later.'_

They would talk later.

Lucy smiles in relief as she watches Natsu move back to his desk and takes a seat, before doing the same. There's a few other screeches against the floor as the remaining students also take theirs seats, a few late-comers hurrying to their desks. The teacher doesn't bat an eye at any of them, he just picks up a piece of chalk and begins righting on the board, not even bothering to say good morning.

"Open you textbooks to page 83. We'll be going through Friday's work once more."

Lucy's hands reach for her bag, when her ears prickle from the sound of nearby whispers – those girls again. She brushes the sounds off, because honestly – her and Natsu's friendship is none of there business. She's was already forming a reputation in the school, but it seemed so small to the worlds she was beginning to know.

She finds her books and pulls them out just as Levy catches her eyes. She meets the stare and flushes at bewilded look the blue-head girl gives her. She doesn't have to question why her new friend was looking at her like that – it was the same reason the girls on the other side were whispering about her – she'd obviously seen what just happened between Natsu and her. It wasn't anything scandalous, but considering Natsu's loner reputation, yeah. It was still embarrassing to be caught by a friend. She offers a shy smile to the girl who raises a blue brow at her. Behind Levy, a few rows down, Lucy notice's Erza staring at her too – her eyes shining with something she can't place. Erza catches her eyes and tries to hide the fact that she was staring, instead dropping her eyes to her textbook. There's still the tiniest of smiles on Erza's lips though and Lucy appreciates it.

Lucy follows the class rep's lead and looks at her textbook.

So far, it had been a pretty good morning.

* * *

When the bell mercifully rang, Lucy was quick to start packing up her things. The other students around her were already getting up to leave and Lucy wondered how they packed so fast. Must be a small town thing? It had been the longest class yet and if she knew Natsu by now, she was sure he'd be out the classroom already. She'd hoped to catch him before he left though, maybe she could catch up with him before the next warning bell.

"Hello, kitten."

The familiar voice has her book slip out of her hand in fright, dropping back on the desk with a thud.

Lucy looks up to see Natsu standing in front of her desk, smirking down at her. She can't help the way her heart flips at the sight.

Oh. He waited for her.

A welcoming smile appears on the blonde's face as she leans a little back in her chair to see him better. As usual – Natsu looked good this morning. His pink hair was a little messy and some of it fell just into his eyes, but didn't hide them – a fact she was most grateful for. His arms where bare with the sleeveless, black shirt he wore too. Lucy kept her eyes from trailing up the tones arms – she was not that kind of girl,  _nope._

"Morning," the blonde replied, her voice embarrassingly soft. She blamed it on the built up stress that she'd experienced this morning, worrying whether he'd want nothing to do with her again. That – plus the relief she now had. That trademark smirk of his slowly turned to a more gentle smile and Lucy almost swooned.

It wasn't fair how much of an effect he had on her now. Yes, he'd always had some effect, but after everything, it felt different.

"Did I scare you?"

"A little," Lucy answers truthfully. "I didn't even hear you walk over."

The pink-haired boy tilts his head in mock disapproval. "No wonder you're always getting into trouble, kitten. You're never aware of what's going on around you."

"And yet, somehow, I still managed to live long enough to have this delightful conversation," Lucy says in the same mocking tone, earning an amused huff from the other boy. She grinned back. It was so weird and yet so nice to be speaking to him so easily in school.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you something," Natsu's voice drops to a huskier tone as he plants his hands on her desk and leans in a little. Lucy keeps herself where she is, partly wanting to win at whatever game he was about to play, partly because she also wanted to get closer to him.

"Let me guess," the blonde hums, her eyes following his as he leans closer. "We have plans after school?" She could almost feel that blazing warmth that seeps off his skin. Unconsciously, she pushes her body just the slightest bit closer too.

Natsu pauses for a moment to smirk down at her, before chuckling. To Lucy's hidden dismay, he also pulls back, before saying, "how did you know I was going to say that?"

The blonde shrugs and pretends to be more interested in packing up her pens. "Oh, you know, it was just a feeling. Some might say I read minds."

She hears Natsu huff at the words and can't help but peek up at him. He's watching her hands with a quirked brow and amused smile. However, his eyes find hers the second after she looks at him, capturing her stare. He smirks.

"You sure sound pretty confident, kitten."

"What's wrong with that? I might even say you're beginning to  _like_  my company, Dragneel."

Something sparks in Natsu's eyes at the sentence – a beautiful flicker of gold. Lucy finds herself drawn to it, wishing she could see more. For a moment, Natsu doesn't say anything and the blonde girl almost wants to take back her words. Had she overstepped? Luckily, the pink-haired alien eases her worries when he leans down a little closer to her again. Lucy's shoulders stiffen when his nose comes only a few inches away from hers. Had he heard her wish to see the gold specks better?

No, they couldn't read minds.  _Thank goodness._

Natsu stays right there, leaning onto the desk to keep them close, his eyes watch her intently and strangely quiet, considering who he is. Lucy can already tell that her face must resemble something similiar to a tomato. She doesn't dare move back though, because really, why would she?

When Natsu speaks, his voice is soft and intrigued.

"Yeah? So does this mean that you're excited to spend some more alone time with me, kitten?"

Lucy can feel his breath wisp over her lips as he speaks and for a moment she forgets how to talk. She can just stare. Her mouth falls open in an attempt to try though, but no words come out. To her shock, those black and golden eyes dart down to stare at her lips. They stare there and Lucy's chest flutters to the point that she might faint.

" _Natsu_ -"

Hushed gasps sound from behind Natsu and it's enough to wake up the blonde who jolts back in her seat to stand. She's instantly relieved when she doesn't end up tripping over herself. Natsu moves back too, although much more reserved and lazily, and with a little irritation, she thinks. Lucy forces herself not to dwell too much on that fact and moves her eyes to the front of the classroom.

Levy and Erza stand just by the door, looking at them with widened eyes. Erza seems to be speechless, while Levy looks like she's torn between smirking and gaping.

Well, this wasn't awkward at all.

Lucy feels her face burn bright red as she stares at her two friends. She doesn't  _dare_  look at Natsu. Her aura must be so telling right now and she didn't want to see whatever look he might be giving her.

"Sorry – we were just wondering why you were taking so long and just wanted to make sure everything was...okay," Levy says, her wide eyes still watching them. "But I see everything's fine." Her lips perch upwards in a badly hidden smirk – Lucy could already dreaded what thoughts were going through in the short girl's head, still, at least it was a good reaction.

Erza's eyes were firmly trained on Natsu, an unreadable look in her dark orbs. "It's good to see that you and Lucy get along, Natsu." Her words are calm, but something sad lingers underneath. Lucy's eyes flick to Natsu, her brows unsure. Natsu doesn't reply, just remains looking at the red-head with a blank expression. The one she knows he uses to hide himself.

"...I'll see you later, kitten," Natsu says after a second, looking over at the blonde, who jerks at the sudden attention.

"Right..."

Natsu then turns away and walks passed Erza and Levy, only nodding at them in greeting. Erza's eyes follow him worriedly, while Levy's go straight back to Lucy, before walking up to her.

"What was that?" she asked fully intrigued. Her eyes widen the second after she says the words, and with a softer voice asks, "We didn't interrupt or anything –"

Lucy's shoulder tense and shakes her head a little too forcefully. "No-no. We were just talking."

Levy seems to get over her worries at the rushed and nervous tone, her smirk making another appearance. "Right – just talking. Cause I always prefer to speak a breath away from someones lips."

"Levy, you really are awful!" Lucy blushes hard, making the other girl giggle. She couldn't be too upset though. At least Levy didn't seem as against the idea of Lucy liking Natsu as she had been a few days ago. Honestly, she was still trying to calm her nerves of what just took place – and with Levy talking about lips…had...had Natsu been about to kiss her?

She could still feel the way his breath ghosted over her lips as he whispered to her. The memory was too much to think and Lucy's chest tightened. Maybe now wasn't the best time to think about it. Besides, Natsu always kept her guessing. She might be wrong.

"You two seem very close."

"Hm?"

This time it was Erza who spoke and Lucy looked up to see the scarlet girl looking at her carefully. It almost felt like she was being studied. Erza then smiled, a small, but true one. "I'm glad," Erza said.

"Erza," Lucy blinked, but the taller girl had already turned towards the door, beconing them with one hand.

"Come on, we need to get to our next class before the next bell rings."

"But I'm not done here," Levy whined, giving Lucy a cheeky smile afterwards. It made the blonde laugh.

"Actually, I think I'm with Erza on this one," Lucy said and grabbed her bag. When she turned back to the girls, Levy was pouting at her, obviously disappointed.

"Fine, but don't think this is over," the blue-head sighed, before pointing a sassy finger at her. "I've never seen Natsu act like that around anyone. I want full details later."

Lucy wanted to understand a little more herself.

"Sure," Lucy rolled her eyes as they all walked out the door. "But when you find someone you like, I'll be giving you this same treatment."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Levy snorted. "It's a small town, I don't have many options."

"Well, on the upside, we've now officially established that Lucy indeed does like Natsu," Erza hummed as they walked into the hallway.

Lucy paled at being caught so easily and very elegantly almost tripped over her own feet.

* * *

The rest of the school day flies by in a blur. Lucy hadn't seen Natsu again that day to her disappointment.

She also hadn't seen any of the Redfox's either – not even during lunch. Their usual table had been empty. The only upside had been that Lucy had dodged whatever confrontation she might have received if they had been there. If she was being honest with herself, she was kinda nervous about seeing them again. She wasn't sure if Natsu and Lisanna told them what she now knew, but it would be weird if they didn't, right? They must know – and she still wasn't sure if all of them would take it well.

She hadn't seen Lisanna either, but at least she had gotten a heads up from the girl. After the second period, Lisanna had texted her saying she had left early because she wasn't feeling too well. Lucy had called her to see if she was okay, only to be reassured that it was nothing serious, just a headache. With her best friend missing, Lucy ended up eating lunch again with Erza and Levy, which wasn't a bad experience. They were a blast to be around, even Jellal and Gray had joined them this time, which added to the fun.

She had just been hoping to get Lisanna to sit with them. She didn't think they'd be against the idea, especially now that she was beginning to really know them. She also knew that once Lisanna felt welcome enough, she'd also love the new friendship.

But, maybe she should first ask Lisanna before she made any plans.

Either way, the school day was peaceful and enjoyable. Levy and Erza were turning out to be great friends and the more time Lucy spent with Gray and Jellal, the more she liked them. Gray especially, he was easy to talk to and pretty laid back. He was the typical 'cool' boy and seeing the dynamic between him and Jellal (the all around nice guy) was pretty interesting. At the end of the day, Lucy felt truly a member of the group. For that, she was grateful.

Though, when it came to Gray, if Lucy was being very honest, he seemed kinda distracted today at lunch. She'd caught him glancing over at the empty table that belonged to the Dragneel's and Redfox's on a few occations when he thought no one would notice. Lucy did, because she'd been glancing too.

She wondered if it had anything to do with that Juvia girl. She still remembered how weird it had gotten when Gray saw her in the gardens last week. She hadn't brought it up again, but she knew there had to be something going on there. For that reason, she could sympathize with the raven boy. She of all people knew how complicated life could be when it came to the Luxen family – and she was the only human in the town who currently knew what they were! Lisanna had told her that Gray and Juvia

had been close once, but that ended once Juvia left. Was that really how it ended? Or did Juvia start avoiding Gray because of the Zeref incident – the same like Natsu did with his old friends? Lucy had a funny feeling that that was exactly the case.

By the time Lucy gets home, she's surprised to see Natsu waiting for her.

She can't stop herself from smiling as she climbs out of her car and starts walking towards him. The pink-haired alien was leaning against his own red bakkie. His eyes stayed glued to her as she walked closer, a tiny tug of his lips was visible. Lucy like it.

"Hey stranger," Lucy greets, hoping to sound casual under his intense eyes. "What happened to you? I didn't see again after first period."

Natsu shrugs at the answer, eyes moving to look at his house. "Sounds like someone missed me."

Lucy rolls her eyes at the half-hearted tease. "Says the guy waiting for me to get home."

Yip, two can plan at this game.

Natsu chuckles as he pushes himself away from his car, the glinting light playing off of his bright hair.

"Fine, a teacher may have let me out early today," he answers her earlier question, raising a teasing brow at her. "Satisfied, kitten?"

"Not so much, Dragneel."

He smiles at her cheekiness, and in a blink of an eyes, Natsu's standing mere inches in front of her. The blonde girl gasps at the sudden appearance and stumbles back, but is luckily stabled by Natsu's strong arms that catch her. That warmth caresses her arms as he holds hers, a welcome feeling that makes Lucy almost lean into him more if she let her last bit of decency go. His presence is sharp, intense and demanding as he looks down at her through dark, sooty lashes. Lucy can only stare up at him powerlessly as she takes in the golden flicks in his eyes. It was funny how just a few hours ago she had been wishing she could stare at them again and now she was getting her chance. Natsu's eyes scanned her own brown orbs, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"So, when are you coming over?"

The soft question takes Lucy aback and she takes in a breath she hadn't known she needed, before furrowing her light brows at him.

"Excuse me?"

He shouldn't be allowed to talk to her when they were this close. She could barely register her own thoughts.

The man chuckles again at the question, his hands squeezing her arms gently as he looks at her. "I guess you're not really used to the speed yet, huh?"

Was he teasing her. Oh, wait – it's Natsu. He was always teasing her.

Lucy's eyes roll in mock irritation, when really she just needed another moment to clear her thoughts. Taking a step away from him would be the better solution – but she wasn't ready to leave his warmth yet.

"Well, you could walk over to me like a normal person," Lucy quips at him playfully. He gives her a look.

"Why should I? Just walking over to you wouldn't have made you get all flustered like you are now."

"You're such a jerk – and I'm not flustered!"

"Sure you're not, kitten."

The way he smirks at her is unfair and Lucy already knows her earlier statement – though there was no way she was going to admit it to him. Instead, she tries to backtrack their conversation.

"And you know, you really should be more careful. What if my aunt saw you?"

Natsu looks back at the house, one pink brow raised when he looks back at her. "She's not here. Do you see her care?"

Lucy looks around too and true enough, her aunt's car is nowhere to be seen. Oh wait, didn't Aqua say that she would be working late again?

Defeated, Lucy looks back at Natsu. He meets her eyes with a winning grin. She frowns at him, earning another huff of laughter from him. Frustrated with his teasing, the blonde elbows him in the ribs, it doesn't seem to have much of an effect on him, but Natsu does at least stop laughing.

"Alright, sorry Lucy. I guess I'm just getting a little too comfortable around..." Natsu trails off when Lucy's eyes meet his, waiting for him to finish the sentence. He doesn't, instead pausing to stare at her, before clearing his throat. His hands release their grasp on her arms and he takes a step back, offering some distance. Lucy's disappointment rises, but tries not to let it show. Instead she focuses on the positive.

Natsu was getting more comfortable around her and that was enough for now.

She sees him run a hand through his hair as he thinks something over, some of his frustration evident on his face. When he looks at her again, Lucy smiles at him. He relaxes a little at that and then scoffs at it, through his own smile.

"Anyway, the question still stands," Natsu says. "When are you coming over?"

"I didn't realize I was invited."

"I did say we have plans though," the pink-head states and Lucy huffs.

"I remember you deciding that on your own too," there's no bite to her words, just a little more teasing. Natsu gives her an almost pleading look and Lucy laughs. It felt good to be the torturer sometimes. "Okay, fine. When do you want me over?"

"The sooner the better, but I also don't want your aunt to worry. You should probably call her."

Lucy's brows lift in understanding. "...I take it that means I'll be sleeping over again?" Was that why Natsu wanted to hang out with her?

Natsu looks at her for a moment, before saying, "I think it's a better idea if you stayed as close to us as possible during the night – at least until your trace weakens."

Guess that answers that question.

"I see."

Natsu's lips tighten at the sound of her voice, not unhappy or angry, just without emotion. She hoped that he couldn't somehow sense her disappointment.

"Listen, if you don't want to come over now, how about we meet at around 6:30?"

Lucy's head bobs up to stare at him, her mouth opening to reassure him. "It's not that – I just..." Natsu gives her a confused look and Lucy sighs, shaking her head. She pulls on a smile. "Sounds good. 6:30 it is then."

Natsu still doesn't seem too sure, but thankfully doesn't push her. He nods too. "Great. I'll see you then, kitten."

Lucy smiles a small smile, before walking over to her door. For a moment she wonders if she should invite him in for some lemonade or something, but decides against it. She didn't want to push it and even though she wanted to spend more time with him, she wasn't sure he felt the same way.

Just before she gets to her door, the blonde blinks and turns to look back at him. Natsu was still standing in the same spot, watching her.

"Something wrong?" he asks unsurely when she looks at him.

"No, uhm..." she looks over at his house. Lisanna's car is parked there too. "Is Lisanna fine with me sleeping over tonight? I know she was feeling sick earlier."

There's a brief pause, before Natsu answers. "Yeah no, she's fine." Lucy looks at him with curious eyes. Natsu smirks at her. "Come on, Lucy. It's Lisanna we're talking about. She'd want you over even if she was puking her guts out."

Lucy laughs at that a little self-consciously. "I don't know about that, but I think I'll just give her a call too. See if she needs anything from town."

"Always the over achiever, are you?"

"I like to be helpful."

Natsu smirks at the response and gives her a slight salute, before walking backwards towards his house. "I'll see you tonight, Lucy." With that said, he saunters away, leaving the blonde teenager on her porch with her heart hammering in her chest.

Even now, she found Natsu Dragneel utterly confusing.

 


	16. Message

Hi everyone! 

Sorry for the tremendously long wait for the next chapter. I haven't given up on the story - actually - I have been finishing up the last few chapters. I'm going to post them once I'm finished. The reason why I'm doing it this way is because the place I'm staying hasn't got WiFi😔 and data is expensive (especially when you're broke😅) I'm almost done, just a little longer and then the chapters will come out quickly after each other (I'm thinking twice a week).

So thanks for all the patience and kind reviews! I'm sorry I haven't replied to you guys too - like I said, data is expensive ^_^ 

Also, PLEASE look after yourselves everyone!! Let's hope the corona virus gets sorted out soon. Hope you're all alright. Let's all just stay positive, yeah?

See you soon!


End file.
